Syntheses, Structure Elucidation, and Characterization of the Borate-Nitrates RE[B5O8(OH)(H2O)x] NO3•2H2O [RE = Nd (x=0.85), Sm (x=0)]

The rare-earth borate-nitrates Nd[B5O8(OH)(H2O)(0.8)5]NO3 center dot 2H(2)O and Sm[B5O8(OH)]NO3 center dot 2H(2)O have been prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Both structures crystallize monoclinically in the space group P2(1)/n (no. 14) with a = 642.85(2), b = 1552.58(4), c = 1070.52(2) pm, beta = 90.39(1)degrees, and V = 1068.44(5) nm(3) for the neodymium compound, and a = 644.09(3), b = 1541.99(8), c = 1050.97(5) pm, beta = 90.33(1)degrees, and V = 1043.79(9) nm(3) for the samarium variant. These compounds represent defect structures of Ce[B5O8(OH)(H2O)]NO3 center dot 2H(2)O. In addition to powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the two novel borate-nitrates were characterized by IR and Raman spectroscopy.