Crystal structure of strontium potassium arsenate octahydrate

The crystal structure of strontium potassium arsenate octahydrate, SrKAsO4·8H2O, has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystals are tetragonal, a = 7.144(1), c = 23.613(2) Å, space group I41md (No. 109), Z = 4, V = 1205.1(1) Å3, and d c = 2.258 g cm−3. All cations and anions in this compound are completely surrounded by water molecules. Sr2+ and K+ ions are each coordinated to eight water molecules arranged in an approximately square antiprism. The [Sr(H2O)8]2+ polyhedron shares one face of four water molecules with a [K(H2O)8]+ polyhedron forming O4-Sr-O4-K-O4 polyhedra. The O4-Sr-O4-K-O4 units are linked together through a pair of edge-sharing linkages of the outer water molecules, alternating along the a-axis and b-axis. The hydrated cation polyhedra appear to define the host lattice, which accommodates the AsO 4 3- ion in the interstitial space. The environment of the AsO 4 3- ion consists of 16 water molecules; each oxygen atom is the acceptor in hydrogen bonds from four water molecules. The pair distances associated with this environment may be used in investigations of the structure of hydrated 4 n- ions in solutions. Each water molecule is coordinated to one Sr and one K, and hydrogen bonded to two O atoms of two different AsO 4 3- ions. There is no hydrogen bonding between water molecules.