A Copper Uranyl Monophosphate Built Up from [CuO2] Chains: Cu2UO2(PO4)2

A copper uranyl monophosphate, Cu2UO2(PO4)2, has been synthesized for the first time. It crystallizes in the space group C2/m with a=14.040(1) ?, b=5.7595(4) ?, c=5.0278(5) ? and BETA=107.24(1)°. Its original structure consists of [CuO2] puckered chains of edge-sharing CuO4 groups running along b, interconnected with [UP2O10] ribbons. The coordination of uranium is characteristic of the [UO2]2+ uranyl ion, forming flattened UO6 octahedra, whereas the planar CuO4 groups exhibit a rectangular configuration. This compound shows original antiferromagnetic interactions at low temperature, due to the presence of [CuO2] chains, but the latter are more complex than those of 1-D spin chains.