A zinc phosphate oxalate with phosphate layers pillared by the oxalate units

An open-framework phosphate oxalate of zinc, of composition [NH3(CH2)(3)NH3 ][Zn-6(PO4)(4)(C2O4)], 1, has been synthesized, for the first time, employi ng hydrothermal methods in the presence of ethylenediamine. The structure c omprises a network of Zn(1)O-5, Zn(2)O-4, Zn(3)O-5 polyhedra and PO4 tetrah edra connected through their vertices forming neutral layers bridged by the oxalate units, giving one-dimensional channels. The presence of Zn in tetr ahedral, trigonal-bipyramidal and square-pyramidal coordinations, and the f ormation of neutral layers, are noteworthy features.