crystallization and structure determination of fac-triammin-aquo-oxalato-cobalt (iii)-nitrate monohydrate

The title compound, fac-triammin-aquo-oxalato-cobalt(III)-nitrate monohydrate, fac-[Co(NH3)3(C2O4)(H2O)]NO3·H2O (2), was prepared according to an original synthetic protocol published exactly 100 years ago by Alfred Werner by dissolving the indigo-blue non-electrolyte complex mer-triammin-chloro-oxalato-cobalt(III), mer-[Co(NH3)3(C2O4)Cl] (1), in boiling half-concentrated nitric acid. Contrary to the literature, it did not crystallize directly from the reaction mixture, but crystallization could be induced by saturating the solution with NaClO4. The structure of 2 has monoclinic (P21/n) symmetry. The crystal structure displays an extensive array of N–H···O and O–H···O hydrogen bonding.