A layered fluorinated gallium phosphate organically templated by propane-1,3-diaminium, an analog of the aluminophosphate MIL-12:: Ga2(PO4)F5•C3H12N2

Crystals of the oxyfluorinated gallium phosphate MIL- 12 ( digallium phosphate pentafluoride propane- 1,3- diaminium), ( C3H12N2)[Ga-2( PO4)F-5], were synthesized hydrothermally at 453 K under autogenous pressure using propane- 1,3- diamine as the structure- directing agent. The title compound is isomorphous with the aluminium phosphate having the MIL- 12 structural type. The structure is built up from a two-dimensional anionic network intercalated by the diamine species. The inorganic layer is composed of corner- linked GaO2F4 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra. The diprotonated diamine group is located on a mirror plane, between the inorganic sheets, and interacts preferentially via hydrogen bonding through the ammonium groups and the terminal F and bridging O atoms of the inorganic layer. One of the Ga atoms lies on an inversion centre and the other lies on a mirror plane, as does the P atom, two of the phosphate O atoms and one of the F atoms.