A zinc phosphate oxalate with phosphate layers pillared by the oxalate units

An open-framework phosphate oxalate of zinc, of composition [NH3(CH2)3NH3][Zn6(PO4)4(C2O4)], 1, has been synthesized, for the first time, employing hydrothermal methods in the presence of ethylenediamine. The structure comprises a network of Zn(1)O5, Zn(2)O4, Zn(3)O5 polyhedra and PO4 tetrahedra connected through their vertices forming neutral layers bridged by the oxalate units, giving one-dimensional channels. The presence of Zn in tetrahedral, trigonal-bipyramidal and square-pyramidal coordinations, and the formation of neutral layers, are noteworthy features.