Unique edge-sharing sulfate-transition metal coordination in Na{sub 2}M(SO{sub 4}){sub 2} (M=Ni and Co)

Two compounds, Na{sub 2}Ni(SO{sub 4}){sub 2} and Na{sub 2}Co(SO{sub 4}){sub 2}, were synthesized and their structure and properties were characterized. They adopt a structure that contains a bidentate coordination of sulfate to the transition metal center, which was determined via single crystal X-ray diffraction combined with model refinements to both laboratory X-ray and time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction data. The compounds were both found to crystallize in the C2/c space group with Z=24 and a unit cell of a=23.3461(3) Å, b=10.3004(1) Å, c=17.4115(2) Å, β=98.8659(9)°, and V=4136.99(8) Å{sup 3} for the cobalt analog and a=23.2253(1) Å, b=10.26155(6) Å, c=17.3353(1) Å, β=99.0376(5)°, and V=4080.20(5) Å{sup 3} for the nickel analog. Magnetization measurements show that the transition metal centers have negligible interactions with neighboring sites. Infrared and Raman spectroscopies were used to further probe the unique sulfate-transition metal coordination, and confirm the bidentate binding motif. The resulting pseudo-trigonal bipyramidal coordination produces vivid violet, Na{sub 2}Co(SO{sub 4}){sub 2}, and yellow, Na{sub 2}Ni(SO{sub 4}){sub 2}, colors that were probed by diffuse reflectance. - Graphical abstract: Two blue distorted transition metal octahedra (oxygen in red) bridged by two sulfate tetrahedra are shown here. Each bridging sulfate tetrahedra shares an edge with one octahedron and a corner with the other. All of the remaining corners of the octahedra are corner sharing with four tetrahedra forming a polyhedral network. - Highlights: • Structure of Na2Ni(SO4)2 and Na2Co(SO4)2 is determined. • Unique sulfate-transition metal binding observed in the new structure. • Combined diffraction and spectroscopic techniques were used. • Magnetization measurements show negligible interactions between sites.