Crystal structure of 2-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium aquatrichlorido(oxalato-kappa O-2,O `)stannate(IV)

The tin(IV) atom in the complex anion of the title salt, (C4H7N2)[Sn(C2O4)Cl-3(H2O)], is in a distorted octahedral coordination environment defined by three chlorido ligands, an oxygen atom from a water molecule and two oxygen atoms from a chelating oxalate anion. The organic cation is linked through a bifurcated N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bond to the free oxygen atoms of the oxalate ligand of the complex [Sn(H2O)Cl-3(C2O4)] anion. Neighbouring stannate(IV) anions are linked through O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds involving the water molecule and the two non-coordinating oxalate oxygen atoms. In combination with additional N-H center dot center dot center dot Cl hydrogen bonds between cations and anions, a threedimensional network is spanned.