Ga3(HPO3)4F4(H3DETA) (DETA=diethylenetriamine): A new open-framework fluorinated gallium phosphite with pentameric building unit

Ga₃(HPO₃)₄F₄(H₃DETA) is a new open-framework fluorinated gallium phosphite obtained by mild hydrothermal synthesis using diethylenetriamine as templated agent and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, the powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, TGA, ICP and elemental analyses. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, a=12.741(6) Å, b=12.068(6) Å, c=11.988(5) Å, β=94.902(8)^o, V=1836.6(15) Å³, Z=4. The construction of 3D open-framework structure in the title compound may be viewed as the assembly of pentameric building units and HPO₃ groups. The pentameric building unit is the first to be found, which lead to form the three types of channels along a-, b- and c-axes, respectively, in gallium phosphite. The triprotonated DETA cations are inserted within the 10-membered ring channels and interact with anions of the framework via hydrogen bonds.