A lanthanum complex with 3,4,5,6-tetra-bromophthalate as ligand.

A lanthanum-based complex, heptaaqua(3,4,5,6-tetrabromobenzene-1,2-dicarboxylato)(3,4,5,6-tetrabromo-2-carboxybenzoato)lanthanum(III), [La(C8Br4O4)(C8HBr4O4)(H2O)7] or [La(tbpa)(Htbpa)(H2O)7], where H2tbpa is 3,4,5,6-tetra-bromo-phthalic acid, was prepared by microwave-assisted reaction between lanthanum chloride and 3,4,5,6-tetra-bromo-benzene-1,2-di-carb-oxy-lic or tetra-bromo-phthalic acid in water. The La3+ is nine-coordinated by seven oxygen atoms from coordinated water mol-ecules and two oxygen atoms from two different ligands in a slightly distorted D 3h spherical tricapped trigonal prismatic geometry. The crystal packing features a hydrogen-bonding network and Br⋯Br inter-actions.