Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Asymmetric Fluorinated Magnesium β-Diketonate Complexes

New complexes of magnesium with asymmetric fluorinated β-diketones are synthesized: pentafluoropropionyl (Hpfpac, 6,6,6,5,5-pentafluorohexane-2,4-dione) and heptafluorobutyrylacetone (Hhfbac, 7,7,7,6,6,5,5-heptafluoroheptane-2,4-dione). The [Mg(H2O)(EtOH)(pfpac)2] 1 and [Mg(H2O)2(hfbac)2]·H2O 2 phases are characterized by a number of methods. The structures of crystals of 1, 2, and [Mg(EtOH)2(hfbac)2] 3 are determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Magnesium atoms have a distorted octahedral environment, and neutral ligands are in the trans-position. Molecules are involved in systems of OH⋯Odik hydrogen bonds, forming layers (2) or chains (1, 3). A relative evaluation shows that 2 is more volatile than 1. Structures of molecules and packing characters are compared with those of a series of related β-diketonate complexes. The effect of an increase in the ligand perfluoroalkyl chain (L = tfac, trifluoroacetylacetonate ion), including isoformular [Mg(H2O)2(L)2]·H2O, is shown.