Dehydration-driven evolution of topological complexity in ethylamonium uranyl selenates

Single crystals of four novel uranyl selenate and selenite-selenate oxysalts with protonated ethylamine molecules, (C2H8N)2[(UO2)(SeO4)2(H2O)](H2O) (I), (C2H8N)3[(UO2)(SeO4)2(HSeO4)] (II), (C2H8N)[(UO2)(SeO4)(HSeO3)] (III), and (C2H8N)(H3O)[(UO2)(SeO4)2(H2O)] (IV) have been prepared by isothermal evaporation from aqueous solutions. Uranyl-containing 1D and 2D units have been investigated using topological approach and information-based complexity measurements that demonstrate the evolution of structural units and the increase of topological complexity with the decrease of H2O content. Single crystals of four novel uranyl selenate and selenite-selenate oxysalts with protonated ethylamine molecules have been prepared by isothermal evaporation from aqueous solutions. Structural analysis and information-based topological complexity calculations points to the possible sequence of crystalline phases formation, showing both topological and structural branches of evolution. [Display omitted] •Single crystals of four novel uranyl oxysalts were prepared by evaporation method.•The graph theory was used for investigation of topologies of structural units.•Dehydration processes drives the evolution of topological complexity of 1D and 2D structural units.