Weak C-H•••Cl-Pd interactions toward conformational polymorphism in trans-dichloridobis(triphenylphosphane)palladium(II)

A new triclinic polymorph of the title compound, [PdCl2(C18H15P)(2)], has two independent molecules in the unit cell, with the Pd atoms located on inversion centres. One molecule has an eclipsed conformation, whereas the second molecule adopts a gauche conformation. The molecules with a gauche conformation are involved in weak intermolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl-Pd interactions with symmetry-related molecules. It is suggested that C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl-Pd interactions are mainly responsible for the existence of conformational differences, which contribute to the polymorph formation. In the crystal, there are layers of eclipsed and gauche molecules separated by normal van der Waals interactions.