Syntheses, crystal structures, and properties of three new metal selenites Na2Co2(SeO3)3, Na2Co1.67Ni0.33(SeO3)3, and Na2Ni2(SeO3)3

Three new sodium cobalt (nickel) selenite compounds, namely, Na2Co2(SeO3)3, Na2Co1.67Ni0.33(SeO3)3, and Na2Ni2(SeO3)3 have been hydro-/solvothermally synthesized in the mixed solvents of acetonitrile and water. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that these isostructural compounds belong to the orthorhombic Cmcm space group and their structures feature three-dimensional open frameworks constructed by the two-dimensional layers of [MSeO3] pillared by the [SeO3]2− groups. The two different types of Na+ ions reside in the intersecting two-dimensional channels parallel to the a- and c-axes, respectively. Their thermal properties have been investigated via TGA–DSC. The magnetic measurements indicate the existence of the antiferromagnetic interactions in these compounds.