Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Ulm-16, A New Open Framework Fluorinated Gallium Phosphate with 16-Ring Channels

The synthesis and characterization of ULM-16, a new fluorinated gallophosphate Ga4(PO4)F2 • 1.5 NC6H14 • 0.5 H2O • 0.5 H3O, is described. This material is hydrothermally prepared at 180°C using cyclohexylamine as the structuring agent. It cristallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn (n° 60) with a = 27.329(4) Å, b = 17.377(2) Å, c = 10.2124(5) Å, V = 4849.6 (9) Å3 and Z = 8. The structure is built up from vertex-linked GaO4 and PO4 tetrahedra, GaO4F trigonal bipyramids and GaO4F2 octahedra forming hexameric units and infinite double crankshaft chains (called cc or UUDD). The hexameric unit is similar to that found in ULM-3, ULM-4, ULM-5 and ULM-8. The two types of building units are fully connected by vertex-sharing with respect to a strict Ga-P alternation. The 3-D framework consists of cylindrical tunnels delimited by sixteen and six polyhedra running along [001]. The cyclohexylamine molecules are trapped in the wider pores and interact with the bridging fluorine atoms and hydration water through hydrogen bonds. The ULM-16 topology is closely related to that of ULM-5 where, in ULM-16, the infinite crankshaft chains replace the isolated D4R cages of ULM-5. TGA curve (under argon) indicates that the ULM-16 structure is intact up to 800°C. Structural relationships will be stated explicitly for the different structures of the ULM-n series containing the hexameric units.