Dicaesium tetramagnesium pentakis(carbonate) decahydrate, Cs2Mg4(CO3)5·10H2O

The title carbonate hydrate, Cs2Mg4(CO3)5·10H2O, was crystallized at room temperature out of aqueous solutions containing caesium bicarbonate and magnesium nitrate. Its monoclinic crystal structure (P21/n) consists of double chains of composition 1∞[Mg(H2O)2/1(CO3)3/3], isolated [Mg(H2O)(CO3)2]2– units, two crystallographically distinct Cs+ ions and a free water mol­ecule. The crystal under investigation was twinned by reticular pseudomerohedry.