Pillared layered structures based upon M(III) ethylene diphosphonates: the synthesis and crystal structures of M(III)(H(2)O)(HO(3)P(CH(2))(2)PO(3)) (M = Fe, Al, Ga).

A three-dimensional iron(III) diphosphonate, Fe(III)(H(2)O)(HO(3)P(CH(2))(2)PO(3)), I, has been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca (no. 61) where a = 9.739(5) A, b = 9.498(5) A, c = 15.940(8) A, V = 1474.4(1) A(3), Z = 8, and R(1) = 0.0380. The structure consists of inorganic sheets pillared by the 1,2-ethylenediphosphonate groups. The sheets are composed of Fe(H(2)O)O(5) octahedra connected through PO(3)C tetrahedra. The corresponding isostructural aluminum (II) and gallium (III) compounds were also synthesized and indexed: II, a = 9.534(1) A, b = 9.255(2) A, c = 15.724(1) A, V = 1387.5(1) A(3); III, a = 9.670(1) A, b = 9.357(2) A, c = 15.862(4) A, V = 1435.4(1) A(3).