Crystalline samples of scandium borophosphate, Sc(H
2O)[BP
2O
8]·H
2O, were synthesized hydrothermallyfrom acidic suspensions of scandium sesquioxide and boric and phosphoric acid at 443 K. The chiralcrystal structure (space group
P6
522 (No. 179),
a = 957.52(3) pm,
c = 1581.45(6) pm,
Z = 6) wassolved from single-crystal data and contains helical chain anions
![](/isubscribe/journals/cmatex/18/i03/eqn/cm051577oe10001.gif)
of alternating borate andphosphate tetrahedra interconnected by ScO
4(H
2O)
2 coordination octahedra. On thermal treatment, areversible release of the hydrate water from the structural channels is observed, and rehydation appearsas soon as the compound is exposed to air moisture for at least 1 day. X-ray powder diffractions showthat the structure is retained during the de-/rehydration process. Both the crystal structure of the dehydratedphase, Sc(H
2O)
2[BP
2O
8] (
a = 953.5(1) pm,
c = 1576.8(2) pm), and that of the rehydrated phase, whichis identical to the hydrothermal product, were refined from X-ray powder data with Rietveld methods.When the dehydrated phase is exposed to an ammonia atmosphere, NH
3 absorption is observed.