Abstract

A new layered germanate, Na₈[Zn₄Ge₈O₁₈(OH)₁₂]·2H₂O, has been synthesized from an aqueous solution containing germanium dioxide, zinc acetate and sodium hydroxide. Room temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction data indicate an orthorhombic cell with a = 13.036(3) Å, b = 8.7286(17) Å, c = 12.938(3) Å, space group Pbcn (no. 60), and Z = 4. Chains of orthogonal four-rings, consisting of corner-sharing [Ge₂Zn₂] units bridged at the zinc centers, are connected to form a new tetrahedral sheet structure containing bifurcated 10-membered rings and the unique building blocks, [GeO_n(OH)_4 − n] (n = 1, 2). The zincogermanate sheets are stacked along the c-axis and connected both by Na–O electrostatic interactions and a hydrogen bonding network composed of bound water molecules and terminal hydroxide anions.