Synthesis and crystal structure of a new hybrid organic-inorganic material containing neutral mol-ecules, cations and hepta-molybdate anions.

The title compound, hexa-kis-(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium) hepta-molybdate 2-methyl-1H-imidazole disolvate dihydrate, (C4H7N2)6[Mo7O24]·2C4H6N2·2H2O, was prepared from 2-methyl-imidazole and ammonium hepta-molybdate tetra-hydrate in acid solution. The [Mo7O24]6- hepta-molybdate cluster anion is accompanied by six protonated (C4H7N2)+ 2-methyl-imidazolium cations, two neutral C4H6N2 2-methyl-imidazole mol-ecules and two water mol-ecules of crystallization. The cluster consists of seven distorted MoO6 octa-hedra sharing edges or vertices. In the crystal, the components are linked by N-H⋯N, N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O, N-H⋯(O,O) and O-H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds, generating a three-dimensional network. Weak C-H⋯O inter-actions consolidate the packing.