Studies of metal formates. The synthesis and X-ray structure of potassium tetraformato-oxovanadate(IV), K2[VO(HCO2)4]

Abstract

The title compound has been prepared and its structure determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is orthorhombic, space group Pbca, and has a= 6.8668(4), b= 14.908(3), c= 20.41 4(4)Å, and z= 8. The structure was refined to R= 0.0230 from 1 596 reflections. The compound is believed to represent the first example of an anionic complex of the vanadyl ion (VO²⁺) with a simple monocarboxylic acid and contains infinite zig-zag chains with axial–equatorial formate bridges. The vanadium is in a pseudo-octahedral environment with approximately C_4v symmetry [V–O(axial) 1.598(2), 2.212(2)Å].