Synthesis and Characterization of a New Cobalt Aluminophosphate with an Open-Framework Structure

A new cobalt aluminophosphate, Co x Al 1 - x PO 4 [(NH 4 ) x (NH 3 ) 0.5 - x ], with relatively high cobalt content (x ≤ 0.4) has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and infrared and visible light spectroscopies. The structure of the compound is a new zeolite-like open framework (monoclinic, C 2/ c, Z = 4, a = 13.312(3), b = 13.160(3), c = 8.914(2) Å, β = 100.94(3)° for x = 0.38). It contains channels of eight-membered rings of alternating tetrahedra of (Co,Al)O 4 and PO 4 . The templates of NH 4 + and NH 3 reside in the channels and are surrounded by oxygen atoms with N−O distances of 3.0 Å and above.