A Tetrahydrofuran Ring‐Opening Product: trans‐Tetrachloro{4‐[2‐(phenylamino)pyridinio]butoxido‐O}(tetrahydrofuran‐O)zirconium(IV)

The title compound, [ZrCl4(C15H18N2O)(C4H8O)], was formed via tetrahydrofuran (thf) ring opening when ZrCl4 and 2-(phenylamino)pyridine were heated in a thf-containing reaction medium. The molecule is zwitterionic, with distorted octahedral coordination at the negatively charged zirconium(IV) centre. A 2-(phenylamino)pyridinium cation is connected to the metal centre by a residue formed through opening of a thf ring.