Metal alkoxycarboxylate complexes. II. Poly[diaquabis(3-hydroxypropionato)yttrium(III)] bromide and catena-poly[pentaaqua(3-hydroxypropionato)yttrium(III)] bromide chloride

Poly[diaquayytrium(III)bis(mu-3-hydroxypropionato-O-3,- O-1:O-1') bromide], ([Y(O2CCH2CH2OH)(2)(H2O)(2)]Br)(n), forms a layer structure consisting of sheets of cations in which the 3-hydroxypropionate ligands chelate to one m etal via the hydroxyl and one carboxyl O atom, and bridge to adjacent metal s via the second carboxyl O atom. The same chelating/bridging coordination of the carboxylate ligand occurs in catena-poly[[pentaaquayttrium(III)]-mu- (3-hydroxypropionato-O-3,O-1:O-1) bromide chloride], {[Y(O2CCH2CH2OH)(H2O)( 5)](Br)CI]}(n), to give cation chains which are arranged in layers. In both structures, the anions lie between the cation units and hold the latter to gether via hydrogen bonding.