Synthesis, crystal structure from single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data, and thermal behavior of mixed potassium lanthanide squarates: thermal transformations of layered [Ln(H2O)6]K(H2C4O4)(C4O4)2 into pillared LnK(C4O4)2 (Ln = Y, La, Gd, Er)

A new series of mixed potassium and rare-earth squarates, Ln(H(2)O)(6)]K(H(2)C(4)O(4))(C(4)O(4))(2) (Ln = Y, La, Gd, Er), has been synthesized and structurally characterized from single-crystal X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic analyses. The yttrium-based compound crystallizes with a monoclinic symmetry, space group C2/c a = 8.3341(2) A, b = 37.7094(9) A, c = 11.7195(3) A, beta = 90.3959(9) degrees , V = 3683.1(2) A(3), Z = 8]. The structure is built from layers maintained together via hydrogen bonds. Within a layer, squarate ligands act as linkers between lanthanide and potassium cations. The thermal decomposition of the precursors has been studied by powder thermodiffractometry and thermal analyses. It is shown that crystalline intermediate phases are formed during the degradation. Among them, unprecedented mixed anhydrous squarates, LnK(C(4)O(4))(2), could be isolated. The crystal structure of the Y compound has been solved ab initio from X-ray powder diffraction data, using direct-space methods a = 6.2010(5) A, c = 11.639(1) A, V = 447.55 A(3), Z = 2]. The structure consists of layers of edge-sharing YO(8) and KO(8) antiprisms, pillared by mu(8)-squarate groups. The end of the precursor decomposition is marked by the formation of cubic sesquioxides Ln(2)O(3), including lanthanum oxide.