Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Two‐Dimensional Magnesium Acetate, Mg 7 (OH) 2 (OAc) 12 (H 2 O) 4 ·4H 2 O, a Precursor to Three‐Dimensional Porous Magnesium Acetate

A new two‐dimensional (2D) magnesium acetate, Mg 7 (OH) 2 (OAc) 12 (H 2 O) 4 · 4H 2 O ( 1 ), was obtained from zero‐dimensional (0D) magnesium acetate tetrahydrate as a single source of the metal and carboxylate ions with nonpolar benzene as the solvent. Compound 1 exhibits an unusual 2D inorganic [Mg 7 (OH) 2 (O) 23 (H 2 O) 4 ] n subnetwork, which underlines the rich synthetic and structural chemistry of metal acetates that is yet to be explored. The thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TG‐DSC) analysis of 1 was performed under an air atmosphere. A plateau in the temperature range between 200 and 300 °C was observed in TG curve, and an interesting phenomenon was found in the DSC curve; an exothermic event at ca. 240 °C was attributed to a phase transformation of 1 . From 1 as a single precursor, the three‐dimensional (3D) porous magnesium acetate framework Mg 5 (OH) 2 (OAc) 8 was successfully prepared at 250 °C in air. Single crystals of Mg 5 (OH) 2 (OAc) 8 were obtained through a solution‐mediated transformation with benzene as the solvent.