Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization, and luminescence of two new arsenic-vanadium compounds with a γ-[As₈V₁₄O ₄₂(H₂O)]^4- anion

Two new compounds, [Zn(phen)₃]₂[γ-As ₈V₁₄O₄₂(H₂O)]·4H ₂O (1) and [Cd(phen)₃]₂[γ-As ₈V₁₄O₄₂(H₂O)]·2H ₂O (2) (phen = 1,10′-phenanthroline), have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectrum, and thermogravimetric analysis. Compound 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 ̄ with a = 11.429(4) Å, b = 15.760(5) Å, c = 15.952(5) Å, α = 108.825(5)°, β = 92.194(5)°, γ = 104.155(5)°, V = 2615.6(15) ų, Z = 1; 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1̄ with a = 11.450(4) Å, b = 15.629(6) Å, c = 16.302(6) Å, α = 109.177(5)°, β = 92.628(5)°, γ = 104.251(4)°, V = 2644.8(17) ų, Z = 1. Single-crystal structural analysis shows that both 1 and 2 consist of a new type of [γ-As₈V ₁₄O₄₂(H₂O)]^4- cluster anion.