The heptanuclear complex [(Zn7O2(OAc)10(dma)2] (dma = N,N-dimethylacetamide) was prepared sonochemically in 60 % yield by the reaction of zinc acetate dihydrate with corresponding molar ratio of N,N-dimethylacetamide in the dry methanol as a solvent, and characterised by IR, TGA, FTIR, and single-crystal X-ray analysis. According to the X-ray crystallography, the complex belongs to a monoclinic crystal system with space group C2/c with cell dimensions a = 18.5951(6), b = 10.6718(4), and c = 24.0520(8) Å, β = 102.948(2)°.
[(Zn7O2(OAc)10(dma)2 has been applied as precursors for the preparation of highly conformal thin films of ZnO and ZnO(Mn) (with Mn(OAc)2(H2O)2 as co-precursor) on a gold interdigitated ceramic substrate by ultrasonic AACVD. Surface morphology, microstructure, chemical composition, and crystallinity of the grown layers was analysed by powder XRD and SEM/EDX. Both ZnO and ZnO(Mn) films were demonstrated to be sensitive for alcohol vapours at a concentration of 100 ppm.[[i]]
[i] Muzammil Hussain, Muhammad Nawaz Tahir, Muhammad Adil Mansoor, Zainudin Arifin, Muhammad Mazhar, Monatshefte für Chemie - Chemical Monthly, Mar 2013, Vol 144, Issue 3, pp 285-294, "Heptanuclear zinc cluster for growth of zincite and manganese-doped zincite thin films for sensor applications”, http://umexpert.um.edu.my/file/publication/00011238_89986.pdf