Solid-Phase Quasi-Intramolecular Redox Reaction of [Ag(NH₃)₂]MnO₄: An Easy Way to Prepare Pure AgMnO₂

Two monoclinic polymorphs of [Ag­(NH₃)₂]­MnO₄ containing a unique coordination mode of permanganate ions were prepared, and the high-temperature polymorph was used as a precursor to synthesize pure AgMnO₂. The hydrogen bonds between the permanganate ions and the hydrogen atoms of ammonia were detected by IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Under thermal decomposition, these hydrogen bonds induced a solid-phase quasi-intramolecular redox reaction between the [Ag­(NH₃)₂]⁺ cation and MnO₄^– anion even before losing the ammonia ligand or permanganate oxygen atom. The polymorphs decomposed into finely dispersed elementary silver, amorphous MnO_x compounds, and H₂O, N₂ and NO gases. Annealing the primary decomposition product at 573 K, the metallic silver reacted with the manganese oxides and resulted in the formation of amorphous silver manganese oxides, which started to crystallize only at 773 K and completely transformed into AgMnO₂ at 873 K.