Synthesis and characterization of a new cobalt aluminophosphate with an open-framework structure

A new cobalt aluminophosphate, CoxAl1-xPO4[(NH4)(x)(NH3)(0.5-x)], with relatively high cobalt content (x less than or equal to 0.4) has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and infrared and visible light spectroscopies. The structure of the compound is a new zeolite-like open framework (monoclinic, C2/c, Z = 4, a = 13.312(3), b = 13.160(3), c = 8.914(2) Angstrom, beta = 100.94(3)degrees for x = 0.38). It contains channels of eight-membered rings of alternating tetrahedra of (Co,Al)O-4 and PO4. The templates of NH4+ and NH3 reside in the channels and are surrounded by oxygen atoms with N-O distances of 3.0 Angstrom and above.