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In Mechanisms of Inorganic Reactions by Fred Basolo and Ralph G. Pearson, a passage discusses the history of coordination chemistry. Ammoniates had been assumed to be analogous to hydrates. They assess the comparision as,

This analogy is essentially correct for in hydrates, except for interstitial and anion water, the water is coordinated to the central metal ion. [emphasis added]

What is the meaning of anion water, as used in this context?

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    $\begingroup$ See this publication for some relevant information. It's likely the authors are referring to anion-water coordination in clusters, but that's just a guess based on the context. $\endgroup$ Jun 27, 2016 at 17:25

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I’m pretty sure that ‘anion water’ is a term they use to describe water which coordinates the anions by hydrogen bonding rather than having anything to do with the cations. This is again to be separated from interstitial water, whose job it is to stabilise either of the other water types by hydrogen bonding without interacting with cations or anions at all. (Or maybe, whose job it is to fill voids in the crystal structure).

Ammonia in coordination compounds typically does what water does if it is not interstitial or hydrogen-bonding to anions, thus the distinction and the mention.

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  • $\begingroup$ Are 'other water types' referring to water clusters? $\endgroup$ Jun 27, 2016 at 18:53
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    $\begingroup$ @LinearChristmas ‘Either of the other water types’ refers to anionic or coordinating water. $\endgroup$
    – Jan
    Jun 27, 2016 at 19:04

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