Ring opening of azetidine cycle: First examples of 1-azetidinepropanamine molecules as a template in hybrid organic-inorganic compounds

Three novel uranyl selenate and sulfate oxysalts templated by protonated azetidine molecules, and its ring-opened counterpart 1-azetidinepropanamine, have been prepared and studied by X-ray structural analysis. Structural, spectroscopic and computational investigations of [AzH]2[(UO2)2(SeO4)3(H2O)] (I) revealed the possibility of strained azetidine cyclic molecules existence in a highly acidic medium. [AzH(CH2)3NH3][(UO2)2(SeO4)3(H2O)](H2O) (II) and [AzH(CH2)3NH3](H5O2)[(UO2)2(SO4)3(HSO4)] (III) are the first structurally characterized crystalline compounds bearing isolated ring-opened azetidine moiety. 175