Crystal structure of tetra-kis-(μ-n-butyrato-κ(2) O:O')bis-[chlorido-rhenium(III)](Re-Re).

With an inversion center at the mid-point of the two Re(III) atoms, the title compound, [Re2Cl2{O2C(CH2)2CH3}4], exhibits a paddle-wheel or lantern-type structure with four n-butyrate groups bridging two Re(III) atoms in a syn-syn fashion. The axial chloride ligands together with the Re-Re quadruple bond [2.2330 (3) Å] complete an essentially octa-hedral geometry around each Re(III) atom. There is little distortion, with an Re-Re-Cl bond angle of 176.18 (3)° and typical cis-O-Re-O bond angles ranging from 89.39 (11) to 90.68 (11)°. There are two mol-ecules in the unit cell, and no significant inter-molecular inter-actions were noticed between mol-ecules in the crystal.