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), (C(8)H(9)N(2))(2)[SnCl(6)], crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with the asymmetric unit containing an Sn(0.5)Cl(3) fragment (Sn site symmetry [Image: see text] ) 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 SnCl(6) (2–) 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 SnCl(6) (2–) 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.