Na7[Ga2B13O24(OH)4]: A Luminescent Sodium Gallium Borate Containing Two Different Types of Oxoboron Framework Building Blocks

A new crystalline luminescent sodium gallium borate, namely, Na7Ga2B13O24(OH)4 (1), has been successfully synthesized through a surfactant-thermal method, and characterized by single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Crystal data for 1: monoclinic, C2/c, a = 9.9918(8) A, b = 8.4550(8) A, c = 26.596(3) A, β = 94.279(6)o, V = 2240.6(3), Z = 4. Compound 1 displays a 3D framework and contains two different oxoboron framework building blocks, namely B3O6(OH) and B7O14(OH)2 units, linked by oxo bridges or by tetrahedral Ga3+ centres. To date, the use of surfactant media in the synthesis of metal borates is relatively unexplored. Compounds 1 emits blue luminescence. UV–Vis spectral investigation indicates that 1 is a wide-band-gap semiconductor. Our results offer a new opportunity to grow diverse crystalline metal borates using surfactant-thermal strategy.