Lithium diaqua-nickel(II) catena-borodiphosphate(V) monohydrate

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Crystal Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Borophosphates are an important class of inorganic compounds with diverse structures and properties.
• Hydrothermal synthesis is a versatile method for preparing crystalline materials under moderate conditions.
• Understanding the crystal structure of new materials is crucial for predicting their potential applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a new borophosphate compound, LiNi(H(2)O)(2)[BP(2)O(8)]·H(2)O.
• To elucidate the crystal structure of the synthesized borophosphate.
• To investigate the structural features, including helical ribbons and cation coordination.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis was employed for the preparation of the title compound.
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction was used to determine the crystal structure.
• Structural analysis involved identifying coordination environments and hydrogen bonding interactions.

Main Results:

• The title borophosphate, LiNi(H(2)O)(2)[BP(2)O(8)]·H(2)O, was successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions.
• The crystal structure is isotypic with the Mg analogue, featuring helical [BP(2)O(8)](3-) borophosphate ribbons.
• Nickel cations link the ribbons, exhibiting distorted octahedral coordination with water molecules, while lithium cations occupy voids in an irregular coordination environment.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized borophosphate exhibits a unique structure with helical borophosphate ribbons.
• The crystal structure is stabilized by extensive hydrogen bonding networks involving water molecules.
• This study contributes to the understanding of borophosphate chemistry and crystal engineering.