Rich structural chemistry in scandium selenium/tellurium oxides: mixed-valent selenite-selenates, Sc2(SeO3)2(SeO4) and Sc2(TeO3)(SeO3)(SeO4), and ternary tellurite, Sc2(TeO3)3.

Both single crystals and pure bulk phases of three new scandium selenium/tellurium oxides, Sc2(SeO3)2(SeO4), Sc2(TeO3)(SeO3)(SeO4), and Sc2(TeO3)3, have been synthesized through hydrothermal and solid-state reactions. X-ray diffractions were used to determine the structures and confirm the phase purities of the reported materials. Isostructural Sc2(SeO3)2(SeO4) and Sc2(TeO3)(SeO3)(SeO4) reveal three-dimensional frameworks with ScO7 pentagonal bipyramids, SeO3 (and TeO3) trigonal pyramids, and SeO4 tetrahedra. A novel ternary scandium tellurite, Sc2(TeO3)3, also shows a three-dimensional framework that is composed of ScO6 octahedra, ScO7-capped octahedra, and TeO3 trigonal pyramids. All three materials accommodate local asymmetric coordination moieties owing to the lone pairs on Se(4+) and Te(4+) cations. The effect of coordination environments of constituent cations on the frameworks, dimensionalities, and centricities of products is discussed. Thorough characterizations including elemental analyses, infrared and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, thermal analyses, and dipole moment calculations for the reported materials are reported. Crystal data: Sc2(SeO3)2(SeO4), monoclinic, space group P21/c (No. 14), a = 6.5294(2) Å, b = 10.8557(4) Å, c = 12.6281(6) Å, β = 103.543(3)°, V = 870.21(6) Å(3), and Z = 4; Sc2(TeO3)(SeO3)(SeO4), monoclinic, space group P21/c (No. 14), a = 6.5345(12) Å, b = 10.970(2) Å, c = 12.559(2) Å, β = 102.699(10)°, V = 878.3(6) Å(3), and Z = 4; Sc2(TeO3)3, monoclinic, space group P21/n (No. 14), a = 5.2345(3) Å, b = 24.3958(15) Å, c = 6.8636(4) Å, β = 106.948(2)°, V = 838.42(9) Å(3), and Z = 4.