Four unusual inorganic-organic nanocomposites containing extended alkali ha
lide structures, present as layers or as three-dimensional units, have been
synthesized by a metathetic reaction carried out under hydrothermal condit
ions. These compounds, with cadmium oxalate host lattices and the alkali ha
lide structures as guests, have the compositions [RbCl][Cd-6(C2O4)(6)]. 2H(
2)O, I; 2[CsBr][Cd(C2O4)].H2O, II; 2[CsBr][Cd-2(C2O4)(Br)(2)]. 2H(2)O, III;
and 3[RbCl][Cd-2(C2O4)(Cl-2)].H2O, IV. Crystal data for I, rhombohedral, s
pace group = R-3 (no. 148), a = 9.3859(3), c = 23.9086(8) Angstrom; V = 182
4.05(1) Angstrom (3), z = 18, M = 1359.51, rho (calcd) = 3.702 g cm(-3), mu
(Mo K alpha) = 7.375 mm(-1), R-1 = 0.04, wR(2) = 0.0904 [537 observed refl
ections with I > 2 sigma (I)]; for II, orthorhombic, space group Pbcm (no.
57), a = 6.0854(6), b = 11.0793(11), c = 16.889(2) Angstrom; V = 1138.7(2)
Angstrom (3), Z = 8, M = 644.06, rho (calcd) = 3.745 g cm(-3), mu (Mo K alp
ha) = 15.219 mm(-1), R-1 = 0.04, wR(2) = 0.08 [408 observed reflections wit
h I > 2 sigma (I)]; for III, orthorhombic, space group = Cmcm (no.63), a =
23.6151(14), b = 10.2528(6), c = 7.8199(6) Angstrom; V = 1894.2(2) Angstrom
(3), Z = 16, M = 970.33, rho (calcd) = 3.374 g cm(-3), mu (Mo K alpha) = 1
4.487 mm(-1), R-1 = 0.03, wR(2) = 0.0744 [651 observed reflections with I >
2 sigma (I)]; for IV, monoclinic, space group = P2(1)/c (no. 14), a = 8.06
48(2)(3), b = 22.9026(4), c = 9.3967(3) Angstrom; V = 1681.10(7) Angstrom (
3), Z = 4, M = 782.53, rho (calcd) = 3.076 g cm(-3), mu (Mo K alpha) = 11.9
61 mm(-1), R-1 = 0.04, wR(2) = 0.093 [2071 observed reflections with I > 2
sigma (I)]. Compounds I-IV possess many unusual structural features. While
I has interpenetrating lattices of the three-dimensional cadmium oxalate an
d RbCl with an expanded lattice, giving rise to a super rock-salt cell, 11
possesses alternating cadmium oxalate and CsBr layers, the latter comprisin
g six-membered CsBr rings. Compounds III and IV have isolated cadmium oxala
te units (zero-dimensional)linked and stabilized by the alkali halides.