The first oxovanadium ring in [[O[double bond]V(salen)]2(mu-F)][VO(salen)][BF4].(CH2Cl2)x crystals

The crystal structure of [{O=VV(salen)}2(mu-F)][VIVO(salen)][BF4].(CH2Cl2)x revealed a hollow cavity with a diameter of 5.3 A that penetrates through the crystal, and a remarkable cyclic chain of the [VO(salen)] unit, a motif that has never been fashioned from oxometal building blocks. These features endow the crystal with a molecular sievelike property for the rapid, reversible, and size-selective absorption of guest CH2Cl2 molecules.