Chemical reaction within a compact non-porous crystal containing molecular clusters without the loss of crystallinity.

The very rare occurrence of a gas-solid chemical reaction has been found to take place on a molecule within a compact non-porous crystal without destroying its long-range structural order and retaining similar crystal structures when yellow crystals of FeII4(mbm)4Cl4(MeOH)4 were exposed to air to give black [FeIII4(mbm)4Cl4(OH)4]·2H2O. The latter cannot be synthesised directly. The original cluster underwent an exchange of methanol to hydroxide, an oxidation of Fe(ii) to Fe(iii), a change in stereochemistry and hydration while the packing and space-group remained unaltered.