Syntheses and Structures of Two Selenite Chloride Hydrates: Co(HSeO3)Cl · 3 H2O and Cu(HSeO3)Cl · 2 H2O

The first selenite chloride hydrates, Co(HSeO₃)Cl · 3 H₂O and Cu(HSeO₃)Cl · 2 H₂O, have been prepared from solution and characterised by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The cobalt phase adopts an unusual “one‐dimensional” structure built up from vertex‐sharing pyramidal [HSeO₃]^2–, and octahedral [CoO₂(H₂O)₄]^2– and [CoO₂(H₂O)₂Cl₂]^4– units. Inter‐chain bonding is by way of hydrogen bonds or van der Waals' interactions. The atomic arrangement of the copper phase involves [HSeO₃]^2– pyramids and Jahn‐Teller distorted [CuCl₂(H₂O)₄] and [CuO₄Cl₂]^8– octahedra, sharing vertices by way of Cu–O–Se and Cu–Cl–Cu bonds. Crystal data: Co(HSeO₃)Cl · 3 H₂O, M_r = 276.40, triclinic, space group P 1 (No. 2), a = 7.1657(5) Å, b = 7.3714(5) Å, c = 7.7064(5) Å, α = 64.934(1)°, β = 68.894(1)°, γ = 71.795(1)°, V = 337.78(7) ų, Z = 2, R(F) = 0.036, wR(F) = 0.049. Cu(HSeO₃)Cl · 2 H₂O, M_r = 263.00, orthorhombic, space group Pnma (No. 62), a = 9.1488(3) Å, b = 17.8351(7) Å, c = 7.2293(3) Å, V = 1179.6(2) ų, Z = 8, R(F) = 0.021, wR(F) = 0.024.