Organically Templated Uranyl Sulfates and Selenates: Structural Complexity and Crystal Chemical Restrictions for Isotypic Compounds Formation

This paper reviews the state of the art in the structural chemistry of organically templated uranyl sulfates and selenates, which are considered as the most representative groups of U-bearing synthetic compounds. In total, there are 194 compounds known for both groups, the crystal structures of which include 84 various organic molecules. Structural studies and topological analysis clearly indicate complex crystal chemical limitations in terms of the isomorphic substitution implementation, since the existence of isotypic phases has to date been confirmed only for 24 compounds out of 194, which is slightly above 12%. The structural architecture of the entire compound depends on the combination of the organic and oxyanion parts, changes in which are sometimes realized even while maintaining the topology of the U-bearing complex. An increase in the size of the hydrocarbon part and number of charge functional groups of the organic cation leads to the formation of rare and more complex topologies. In addition, the crystal structures of two novel uranyl sulfates and one uranyl selenate, templated by isopropylammonium cations, are reported.

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This paper provides a review of the structural chemistry of organically templated uranyl sulfates and selenates. A total of 194 compounds have been identified, with crystal structures that include 84 different organic molecules. The study highlights the complex limitations in isomorphic substitution implementation and the rarity of isotypic phases. The combination of organic and oxyanion parts determines the overall structural architecture of the compounds, and changes in these parts can lead to the formation of rare and more complex topologies. Additionally, the crystal structures of three novel uranyl compounds templated by isopropylammonium cations are reported.