beta-[H2N(CH2)2NH2]0.5[ZnHPO3], a second modification of ethylenediamine zinc hydrogen phosphite.

The title compound, poly[dizinc(II)-mu-ethylenediamine-di-mu-(hydrogen phosphito)], beta-[H(2)N(CH(2))(2)NH(2)](0.5)[ZnHPO(3)] or [Zn(2)(HPO(3))(2)(C(2)H(8)N(2))](n), is a hybrid organic/inorganic solid built up from ethylenediamine molecules (which lie about inversion centres), Zn(2+) cations (coordinated by three O atoms and one N atom) and HPO(3)(2-) hydrogen phosphite groups. The organic species bond to the Zn atom as unprotonated ligands, acting as bridges between infinite ZnHPO(3) layers that propagate as very buckled (001) sheets. The zincophosphite sheets contain polyhedral four- and eight-membered rings in a 4.8(2) topology. beta-[H(2)N(CH(2))(2)NH(2)](0.5).ZnHPO(3) complements the previously described alpha modification of the same stoichiometry [Rodgers & Harrison (2000). Chem. Commun. pp. 2385-2386].