A novel series of materials composed of arrays of vanadium oxide container molecules, [V18O42(X)] (X = H2O, Cl-, Br-): synthesis and characterization of [M2(H2N(CH2)2NH2)5][(M(H2N(CH2)2NH2)2]2V18O42(X)]. 9H2O (M = Zn, Cd).