The structure of samarium hydrogenselenite selenite dihydrate is chara
cterized by layers parallel to the xy plane consisting of SmO8 polyhed
ra linked by selenite and hydrogenselenite ions. A selenite ion links
one Sm atom to three other Sm atoms while the hydrogenselenite ion act
s as a monodentate bridging ligand to two Sm atoms. The layers are hel
d together by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. The coordinatio
n polyhedron of Sm is a distorted square antiprism.