Diaqua-(nitrato-κO,O')bis-(l-phenyl-alaninato-κO,O')lead(II) nitrate.

In the title complex, [Pb(C(9)H(11)NO(2))(2)(NO(3))(H(2)O)(2)]NO(3), the cation is a monomeric species including zwitterionic amino-acids. In both zwitterions, rotation of the NH(3) (+) groups about their C-N bonds is blocked by inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Assuming a limit for Pb-O bond lengths of 3†à , the Pb(II) ion is coordinated by eight O atoms. Each phenyl-alaninate ligand coordinates asymmetrically, with one short and one long Pb-O bond. Coordinated water mol-ecules are also found at significantly different distances, while the bidentate nitrate ion coordinates symmetrically. The resulting [Pb(II)O(8)] core is hemi-directed, with a void placed almost trans to a carboxyl-ate group. However, the 6s(2) lone pair of the metal center can not be considered as stereochemically active, as a non-coordinating O atom of a nitrate belonging to a symmetry-related cation is placed in the empty hemisphere, with a short Pb⋯O separation of 3.035†(10)†à .