Crystal structure of bis[(phenylmethanamine-_ΚN)-(phthalocyaninato-_Κ⁴N)zinc] phenylmethanamine trisolvate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, 2[Zn(C₃₂H₁₆N₈)(C₇H₉N)]·3C₇H₉N, comprises two independent complex molecules and three benzylamine solvent molecules. Each complex molecule features a pentacoordinated Zn²⁺ ion within a square-pyramidal geometry, whereby the N₅ donor set is defined by four atoms of the phthalocyaninate dianion (PC) and an N-bound benzylamine molecule; it is the relative orientations of the latter that differentiate between the independent complex molecules. The uncoordinated benzylamine molecules display different conformations in the structure, with syn-C_ar-C_ar-C_m-N (ar = aromatic, m = methylene) torsion angles spanning the range -28.7 (10) to 35.1 (14)°. In the crystal, N-H⋯N and N-H⋯π interactions lead to supramolecular layers in the ab plane. The layers have a zigzag topology, have the coordinating and non-coordinating benzylamine molecules directed to the inside, and present the essentially flat PC resides to the outside. This arrangement enables adjacent layers to associate via π-π interactions [inter-centroid distance between pyrrolyl and fused-benzene rings = 3.593 (2) Å] so that a three-dimensional architecture is formed.