Assembly of two layered cobalt–molybdenum phosphates: Changing interlayer distances by tuning the lengths of amine ligands

By using amines with different lengths, two layered cobalt–molybdenum phosphates with different interlayer distances, (C2N2H10) [HCo(H2O)2P2MoO10] (1), and (C3N2H12)4{Co3 [P4Mo6O26(OH)5]2}· 5H2O (2), have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized. In compound 1, the H2en direct the [CoMoP2] clusters to form a layered framework. By changing the lengths of protonated organic amines (H2en to 1, 3-H2pn), compound 2 is obtained, in which the sandwich-shaped [Co (Mo6P4)2] clusters are linked by tetrahedrally coordinated cobalt into a layered framework. With the lengths of protonated organic amines increasing, the interlayer distances in compound 2 become larger. This work successfully demonstrates that tuning the lengths and conformation of the protonated organic amines can provide a facile route for the formation of organically templated inorganic open-framework materials. Additionally, susceptibility measurement shows that the two compounds both exhibit antiferromagnetic interactions.