Organic–inorganic hybrid hexa­chlorido­stannate(IV) with 2-methyl­imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ium cation

The hybrid salt bis­(2-methyl­imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ium) hexa­chlorido­stannate(IV), (C8H9N2)2[SnCl6], crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with the asymmetric unit containing an Sn0.5Cl3 fragment (Sn site symmetry Unlabelled Image) and one organic cation. The five- and six-membered rings in the cation are nearly coplanar; bond lengths in the pyridinium ring of the fused core are as expected; the C—N/C bond distances in the imidazolium entity fall in the range 1.337 (5)–1.401 (5) Å. The octa­hedral SnCl62– dianion is almost undistorted with the Sn–Cl distances varying from 2.4255 (9) to 2.4881 (8) Å and the cis Cl—Sn—Cl angles approaching 90°. In the crystal, π-stacked chains of cations and loosely packed SnCl62– dianions form separate sheets alternating parallel to (101). Most of the numerous C—H⋯Cl—Sn contacts between the organic and inorganic counterparts with the H⋯Cl distances above the van der Waals contact limit of 2.85 Å are considered a result of crystal packing.