Bismuth gallate coordination networks inspired by an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

The effect of solvent has been investigated for the synthesis of bismuth gallate compounds, of which the water-based bismuth subgallate has been used as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for over a century. Using methanol as a solvent, two new bismuth gallates were acquired: first a flexible 3-periodic metal-organic framework (MOF) forms, which transforms upon extended synthesis times into a layered 2-periodic coordination polymer of the same bismuth-to-gallate ratio. The structures were determined by three-dimensional electron diffraction.

Elucidation of the elusive structure and formula of the active pharmaceutical ingredient bismuth subgallate by continuous rotation electron diffraction.

Bismuth subgallate has been used in wound and gastrointestinal therapy for over a century. The combination of continuous rotation electron diffraction and sample cooling finally revealed its structure as a coordination polymer. The structure provides insight regarding its formula, poor solubility, acid resistance and previously unreported gas sorption properties.