Source of material Thick tabular crystals of the title compounds up to several mm in diameter were obtained by slow evaporation at room temperature of acidic aqueous solutions of selenic acid, ammonia, and Co nhydroxide and Zn-carbonate, respectively.
DiscussionThe two compounds (NH4>2Co(Se04>2 · 6H 2 0 and (NH4>2Zn(Se04)2 · 6H2O belong to the laige family of Tutton's salts Λ Wfyn04)2 · 6H2O, where A = Na, K, Rb, Cs, TI, NH4 and M = Mg, V, Cr, Μη, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ru, Cd;X= S, Se, Cr (see [1][2][3] and references cited therein). The structures of only three ammonium selenate Tutton's salts were previously reported: for M = Mg [4], Ni [5] and Cu [6]. No Tutton's salts have yet been structurally characterised for A/ = V, Cr, Μη, Fe or Cd. The crystal structures of the title compounds are characterised by isolaSed M^é-octahedra (M = Co, Zn) and SeCU-tetrahedra as well as NH4-groups. The slighdy distorted octahedra (Co-O distances range from 2.066 Â to 2.117 Â and Zn-O distances range from 2.100Â to 2.121 Â) are located on the centres of symmetry. All six corners are oxygen atoms belonging to water molecules. The isolated units are connected by a system of well-defined, mediumstrong to weak hydrogen bonds with A-D distances ranging from 2.689 À to 2.966 À, and D-H-A angles from 158° to 178°. The parameters of all hydrogen atoms are also well-defined considering the unrestrained refinement: the highest isotropic displacement parameter is 0.079 Â 2 for H(3N) in the zinc compound, and there is no discernible disorder. Ammonium cations can exhibit a wide range of coordination numbers, going from four up to nine [7]; in the latter case they show a strong pseudo-alkali character, sometimes with static or dynamic disorder. In the title compounds, the ammonium groups are [4+3] coordinated by oxygen. The four closest distances correspond to the relatively straight hydrogen bonds (N O distances range from 2.857 A to 2.966 Â for both compounds). As expected, the presence of isolated polyhedra in the structure type of the Tutton's salts makes it very flexible, and ammonium cations can easily adapt to their environment. The ammonium cations in the two selenates are both slightly distorted from their ideal T<¡ symmetry, even if the relatively large standard uncertainties for their refined geometrical parameters are taken into account Similar distortions were also reported for sulphate Tutton's salts [8]. The fairly regular geometry of the Co(H20)6 octahedron in (NH4>2Co(Se04>2 · 6H2O is in good agreement with the observations of Wildner in his review on Co Of, polyhedra in inorganic compounds [9]. The average Co-O distance in the Co compound, 2.095 Â, also agrees with the grand mean value of 2.1115(621 ) Â [9]. Furthermore, the similar behaviour of Co(II) and Ζη(Π) [9] is confirmed by the comparison of the two title compounds. The average Zn-O distance in the Zn compound, 2.094 Â, is basically identical to that in its Co analogue, and, as expected from ionic radii relations, slightly longer than that in the Ni analogue, 2.056 ...