Crystal structure of non-centrosymmetric bis(4-methoxybenzylammonium) tetrachloridozincate

The structure of the title non-centrosymmetric organic-inorganic hybrid salt, (C8H12NO)(2)[ZnCl4], consists of two 4-methoxybenzylammonium cations sandwiched between anionic layers, formed by isolated tetrachloridozincate tetrahedra. The double layers extend parallel to the ac plane. The crystal packing is assured by Coulombic interactions and by a complex N-H center dot center dot center dot Cl and C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl hydrogen-bonding system mostly involving the positively charged ammonium groups and the chloride ligands of the isolated tetrahedral [ZnCl4](2-) units. One of the methyleneammonium groups is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.48 (2): 0.52 (2) ratio. The crystal investigated was twinned by nonmerohedry with a twin component ratio of 0.738 (2): 0.262 (2).