Polymorphs of VO(PO3)2: synthesis and crystal structure refinement revisited.

The monoclinic α-polymorph of (VIVO)(PO3)2 is obtained reproducibly by reaction of V2O5 and H3PO4 (85%) (Au crucible, 380 °C, 4 d). Its crystal structure was refined from X-ray single-crystal data [C2/c, Z = 4, a = 15.1038(7) Å, b = 4.193(2) Å, c = 9.573(9) Å, β = 126.45(3), R1 = 0.052, wR2 = 0.189 for 976 unique reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo), 48 variables]. A single-phase powder of the β-polymorph is obtained by the reaction of V2O5, H3PO4 (85%) and oxalic acid, evaporating the mixture, and subsequent annealing (porcelain crucible, 800 °C in air, 2 d). Single crystals of β-(VIVO)(PO3)2 were grown in a sealed silica ampoule with chlorine as mineralizer. The crystal structure of the orthorhombic (pseudo-tetragonal) β-polymorph was refined from X-ray single-crystal data [pseudo-merohedral twin, Fdd2, Z = 8, a = 15.536(2) Å, b = 15.586(2) Å, c = 4.2611(5) Å, R1 = 0.032, wR2 = 0.068 for 1072 unique reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo), 50 variables]. Earlier reports on a tetragonal polymorph with unusual geometric structure of the [(V≡O)O5] polyhedron are corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]