Puckered-boat conformation (H2O)14 cluster on the self-assembly of an inorganic-metal-architecture

BDC (phthalic acid) reacts with EuCl3 to form 1D coordination polymer, in the presence of phen (1,10-phenanthroline) under hydrothermal conditions. Puckered-boat-shaped (H2O)14 water clusters resulted from four free water molecules and six coordinated water molecules, which join these chains to make a sheet. Of further interesting, the water clusters associate into an inorganic (carbon-free) sheet with chlorine anions by hydrogen bonds. This hybrid water–chlorine configuration acts as a “host” supporting the metal-organic “guest”.