[Oxybis(ethane-1,2-diyl)]bis(dimethylammonium) octamolybdate dihydrate

The title compound, (C8H22N2O)2[Mo8O26]·H2O, (cis-H2L)2[β-Mo8O26]·H2O, where L = (bis[2-N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl] ether), was synthesized from bis[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl] ether and MoO3 under solvothermal conditions and characterized by multinuclear NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The structure displays two [oxybis(ethane-1,2-diyl)]bis(dimethylammonium), or [cis-H2L]2+, cations, a central [β-Mo8O26]4− anionic cluster consisting of eight distorted MoO6 octahedra, and two water molecules in their deuterated form. The central anion lies across an inversion center. The [cis-H2L]2+ cations are hydrogen bonded to the central [β-Mo8O26]4− cluster via bridging water molecules. In the crystal, O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the components into chains along [010]. Weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds link these chains into a three-dimensional network.