Crystal structure of iron(III) perchlorate nona­hydrate

Since the discovery of perchlorate salts on Mars and the known occurrence of ferric salts in the regolith, there is a distinct possibility that the title compound could form on the surface of Mars. [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](ClO(4))(3)·3H(2)O was crystallized from aqueous solutions at low temperatures according to the solid–liquid phase diagram. It consists of Fe(H(2)O)(6) octa­hedra (point group symmetry -3.) and perchlorate anions (point group symmetry .2) as well as non-coordinating water mol­ecules, as part of a second hydrogen-bonded coordination sphere around the cation. The perchlorate appears to be slightly disordered, with major–minor component occupancies of 0.773 (9):0.227 (9).