First hydrotalcite-like sulfonate coordination network incorporating robust cationic layers and flexible interlayer interactions.

In this paper, a novel coordination network of D,L-homocysteic acid with strontium chloride is reported. This compound exhibits an infinite microporous multilayered structure, describable as one-dimensional coordination-based microtubes cross-linking into cationic layers. Chloride anions are intercalated between layers to neutralize the charge, and the layers further pack into a three-dimensional solid via electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), variable-temperature Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) are presented to extensively study the structure. Results show that the compound is stable up to 326 degrees C. Below this temperature, the layered structure is sustained in the process of the reversible loss/gain of coordinated water, confirming that the network involves a robust coordination-based cationic layer framework but rather flexible interlayer interactions. This compound and its analogies are expected to have potential applications in anion exchange and gas storage.