An open-framework silicogermanate with 26-ring channels built from seven-coordinated (Ge,Si)₁₀(O,OH)₂₈ clusters

We report a new open-framework silicogermanate SU-61 containing 26-ring channels with a low framework density. It can be seen as a crystalline analogue to the mesoporous silica MCM-41. The structure is built from the assembly of (Ge,Si)₁₀(O,OH)₂₈ clusters. It is the first time that silicon has been successfully introduced in the Ge₁₀ cluster in significant amounts (21% of the tetrahedral sites). Five- and six-coordinated Ge₁₀ clusters have previously been observed in other germanate compounds leading to either dense or open structures. In SU-61, the seven-coordinated clusters fall onto yet another underlying net, the osf net. SU-61, along with other Ge₁₀ based frameworks, shows the versatility of the germanate system to adopt defined topologies playing on the connectivity of the clusters following the principles of net decoration and scale chemistry.