“One stone two birds” design of borates featuring edge-sharing [BO4] and different B–O configurations in one structure utilizing covalent tetrahedra

Two borates, K3Al2B11O21 (KABO) and K3Al2MoB9O21 (KAMBO), with edge-sharing [BO4] (ES-[BO4]) tetrahedra and different B–O configurations in one structure, were rationally designed and prepared at atmospheric pressure by introducing covalent tetrahedra. KABO is the first borate identified to have ES-[BO4] tetrahedra and two different dimensional B–O groups, namely, isolated [B6O12] groups with ES-[BO4] and one-dimensional infinite chains. In addition, KAMBO is a rare borate that features ES-[BO4] tetrahedra and two distinct isolated B–O groups ([B6O12] and [B3O6]). The discovery of these two compounds not only enriches the structures of borates, but also suggests a novel method for creating borates with ES-[BO4] tetrahedral structures and flexible B–O configurations at atmospheric pressure.