Investigating the Formation of Different (NH4)2M(H2O)5(NH3CH2CH2COO)2V10O28·nH2O (M = CoII, NiII, ZnII, n = 4; M = CdII, MnII, n = 2) Crystallohydrates

Three hybrid compounds based on decavanadates, i.e., (NH4)2Co(H2O)5(β-HAla)2V10O28·4H2O (1), (NH4)2Ni(H2O)5(β-HAla)2V10O28·4H2O (2), and (NH4)2Cd(H2O)5(β-HAla)2V10O28·2H2O (3), (where β-Hala = zwitterionic form of β-alanine) were prepared by reactions in mildly acidic conditions (pH ~ 4) at room temperature. These compounds crystallise in two structure types, both crystallising in monoclinic P21/n space group but with dissimilar cell packing, i.e., as tetrahydrates (1 and 2) and as a dihydrate (3). An influence of crystal radii and spin state of the central atom in M(H2O)5(β-HAla)2+ complex cations on the crystal packing leading to the formation of different crystallohydrate forms was investigated together with previously prepared (NH4)2Zn(H2O)5(β-HAla)2V10O28·4H2O (4) and (NH4)2Mn(H2O)5(β-HAla)2V10O28·2H2O (5) and spin states of M(H2O)5(β-HAla)2+ (M = Co2+, Ni2+, and Mn2+) cations in solution were confirmed by 1H-NMR paramagnetic effects. FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra for 1–5 are in agreement with the X-ray structure analysis results.