Unusual structure of new dimethylmalonate coordination polymer with strontium atoms and VO2+ fragments

A reaction of vanadyl sulfate VOSO4·3H2O with dimethylmalonic acid strontium salt led to the coordination polymer {Sr(H2O)8[VO(Me2mal)2]} n (1, Me2mal is the dimethylmalonic acid dianion), in which the carboxylate dianions did not form chelate metallocycles with the vanadyl ions. The complex was studied by ESR spectroscopy. The compound 1 exhibited weak spin-spin exchange interactions of ferromagnetic type between the VIV atoms.