Synthesis and structure of a porous zinc vanadate, Zn3(VO4)2•3H2O

A zinc vanadate with the formula Zn-3(VO4)(2). 3H(2)O was synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of a gel of composition [(CH3CO2)(2)Zn . 2H(2)O] : 0.5V(2)O(5) : 0.4 [1,3-diaminepropane] : 1.5 NaOH : 114 H2O, held at 170 degreesC for 24 hours. The structure was determined ab initio by means of the EXPO direct methods program and refined with GSAS. The pale yellow solid crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P-6 with a = 6.07877(8), c = 7.1827(2) Angstrom. The structure consists of vanadium tetrahedra bonded to distorted octahedral zinc atoms to create one dimensional columnar passageways for molecules. Though occupied by water in the as synthesized form, the passages could host other small molecules. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.