Increasing the dimensionality of hybrid vanadium oxyfluorides using ionothermal synthesis

A unique organically-templated vanadium(IV) oxyfluoride, [pyH][V(2)O(2)F(5)] has been prepared using an ionothermal approach. This compound has a novel layered structure which may be considered as arising via condensation of previously known 'ladder-like' structural building units. This suggests that ionothermal synthesis may provide a more effective route to extended network structures in these systems than the more widely explored hydrothermal-based media.