Crystal structure and chemical constitution of basic beryllium acetate and its homologues

The physical and chemical properties of basic beryllium acetate, OBe4 (CH3 .CO2 )6 , are those of a non-ionised substance having the unitary structure of a typical organic compound, each chemical molecule of which may be regarded as forming one co-ordination complex. The fact that the arrangement of the eleven associating units of which this molecule is composed possesses the geometrical attributes of a tetrahedron has led to a stereochemical conception of the constitution of the compound, which is confirmed by the results of X-ray analysis.