title: Tetra-mu-alpha-alanine-bis[tetraaquagadolinium(III)] hexaperchlorate.
abstract: The title complex, [Gd(2)(C(3)H(7)NO(2))(4)(H(2)O)(8)](ClO(4))(6), contains centrosymmetric dimeric [Gd(2)(Ala)(4)(H(2)O)(8)](6+) cations (Ala is alpha-alanine) and perchlorate anions. The four alanine molecules act as bridging ligands linking two Gd(3+) ions through their carboxylate O atoms. Each Gd(3+) ion is also coordinated by four water molecules, which complete an eightfold coordination in a square-antiprism fashion. The perchlorate anions and the methyl groups of the alanine ligands are disordered.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Chemistry and Physics, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 159 Renmin Street, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ninghai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kuiyue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Haiyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chunji
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niu