New Inorganic Helical Chain: Synthesis, Structure, Characterization, and Interconversion of BaGa₂O₂(OH)₄

A new pseudo-two-dimensional compound, BaGa2O2(OH)4, containing pure inorganic helical chains has been synthesized under hydrothermal reaction conditions using Ba(OH)2·8H2O, Ga2O3, and H2O as reagents. Further characterizations as well as a reversible transformation reaction to BaGa2O4 and H2O are discussed.