Bis{bis­(azido-κN)bis­[bis­(pyridin-2-yl-κN)amine]cobalt(III)} sulfate dihydrate

The search for new mol-ecular materials with inter-esting magnetic properties, using the pseudohalide azide ion and di-2-pyridyl-amine (dpa, C10H9N3) as a chelating ligand, led to the synthesis and structure determination of the title compound, [Co(N3)2(dpa)2]2SO4·2H2O. The crystal structure comprises discrete [Co(dpa)2(N3)2](+) cations, sulfate anions, as well as H2O solvent mol-ecules. The Co(III) cations display a slightly distorted octa-hedral coordination sphere defined by two N atoms from azide anions and four N atoms from the pyridyl rings of two dpa ligands. In the crystal, extensive C-H⋯O, N-H⋯O, and O-H⋯O inter-actions result in supra-molecular sheets that lie parallel to the ab plane. The sheets are further linked through O-H⋯N inter-actions between the water mol-ecules of one sheet and azide anions of another sheet, forming a supra-molecular framework.