Three-Dimensional Metal Complex Host with Alternating Arrangement of the Occupied and Vacant Channels. The Crystal Structure of Cd(NH₂CH(CH₃)CH₂NH₂)Ni(CN)₄· 0.25G (G=<TEX>$CH_3C_6H_5, p-(CH_3)_2C_6H_4$</TEX>)

Crystal structure of two inclusion compounds Cd(pn)Ni(CN)4·0.25G (G=toluene and p-xylene, pn=1,2-diaminopropane) have been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data; toluene clathrate: monoclinic P21/n, a=13.838(6), b=26.893(5), c= 7.543(5) Å, γ=90.92(3)°, Z=4, R=0.0616; p-xylene clathrate: monoclinic P21/n, a=13.895(2), b=26.900(3), c=7.613(1) Å, γ=91.06(1)°, Z=4, R=0.0486. The host structures determined for toluene- and pxylene-guest clathrates are substantially identical to the U-type structures observed for the straight chain aliphatic-guest clathrates. However, the alternating arrangement of occupied channels with the guest molecules and vacant channels appears in the host structure. The non-centrosymmetric toluene molecules are distributed about the inversion center to give an image like p-xylene molecule. The guests, toluene and p-xylene, prefer the U-type channel, favoring the interaction between the π-electrons of the aromatic ring and the pn-amino groups to hold the aromatic ring vertical to the cyanometallate meshes.