The compounds (H5O2)M(SO4)2 (M = Ho, Er, Y) were obtained from the metal oxides M2O3
(M = Ho, Er, Y) using diluted sulfuric acid (80%). The crystal structure of the isotypic
compounds has been determined from single-crystal data by direct and Fourier methods
[tetragonal, I41/amd (No. 141); (H5O2)Ho(SO4)2, a = 6.9140(5) Å, c = 17.246(2) Å, R = 0.013;
(H5O2)Er(SO4)2, a = 6.8967(7) Å, c = 17.166(2) Å, R = 0.012; (H5O2)Y(SO4)2, a = 6.8875(7)
Å, c = 17.159(2) Å, R = 0.016]. The characteristic feature of the crystal structure is a network
of edge-sharing [MO8] trigon dodecahedra and [SO4] tetrahedra providing channels along
[111] which are occupied by disordered H5O2
+ ions. In situ X-ray powder investigations
exhibit that the compounds are also formed as intermediate phases during the reaction of
the hydrogen sulfates M(HSO4)3 (M = Ho, Er, Y) with water. According to DSC measurements and temperature-dependent powder diffraction studies, the thermal decomposition
of the title compounds follows a two-step mechanism. Around 150 °C, two molecules of water
are driven off, yielding M(HSO4)(SO4) (M = Ho, Er, Y), and finally, at 320 °C, H2SO4 (H2O
+ SO3) is released to give the anhydrous sulfates M2(SO4)3.