Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of a zigzag chain and transformation between isomeric iron–sulfate chains

A new organically directed iron sulfate (C6N2H14)[Fe(SO4)2(OH)]·H2O with zigzag chains has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The compound crystallizes in monoclinic space group C2/c, crystal data: a = 18.6419(18) Å, b = 12.0129(12) Å, c = 12.4794(12) Å, β = 108.275(2), V = 2653.7(4) Å3, Z = 8, M = 395.17. The inorganic moiety of the title compound is constructed from the tancoite-type unit via the linking fashion of hydroxyl groups with trans–cis positions, leading to a novel zigzag {FeOFe} chain, which is isomeric with two analogousness reported by us. An interesting transformation between the 1D iron–sulfate chains to its isomers via changing the specific organic amines was also performed.