Chemical Twinning of Salt and Metal in the Subnitridometalates Ba23 Na11 (MN4 )4 with M=V, Nb, Ta

The subnitridometalates Ba23 Na11 (MN4 )4 (M=V, Nb, Ta) crystallize in a new structure type, which shows ionic ortho-nitridometalate anions and motifs from simple (inter)metallic packings: Na-centered [Na8 ] cubes as cutouts of the bcc structure of elemental Na and Na-centered [Ba10 Na2 ] icosahedra as found in Laves phases, for example. Single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction studies in combination with quantum-chemical calculations of the electronic structure and Raman spectroscopy support the characterization of the subnitridometalates as "chemical twins". They consist of independent building units with locally prevalent ionic or metallic bonding in an overall metallic compound.

Alkali Metal Suboxometalates-Structural Chemistry between Salts and Metals

The crystal structures of the new cesium-poor alkali metal suboxometalates Cs10MO5 (M = Al, Ga, Fe) show both metallic and ionic bonding following the formal description (Cs(+))10(MO4(5-))(O(2-))·3e(-). Comparable to the cesium-rich suboxometalates Cs9MO4 (M = Al, Ga, In, Fe, Sc) with ionic subdivision (Cs(+))9(MO4(5-))·4e(-), they contain an oxometalate anion [M(III)O4](5-) embedded in a metallic matrix of cesium atoms. Columnlike building units form with prevalent ionic bonding inside and metallic bonding on the outer surface. In the cesium-rich suboxometalates Cs9MO4, additional cesium atoms with no contact to any anion are inserted between columns of the formal composition [Cs8MO4]. In the cesium-poor suboxometalates Cs10MO5, the same columns are extended by face-sharing [Cs6O] units, and no additional cesium atoms are present. The terms "cesium-rich" and "cesium-poor" here refer to the Cs:O ratio. The new suboxometalates Cs10MO5 crystallize in two modifications with new structure types. The orthorhombic modification adopts a structure with four formula units per unit cell in space group Pnnm with a = 11.158(3) Å, b = 23.693(15) Å, and c = 12.229(3) Å for Cs10AlO5. The monoclinic modification crystallizes with eight formula units per unit cell in space group C2/c with a = 21.195(3) Å, b = 12.480(1) Å, c = 24.120(4) Å, and β = 98.06(1)° for Cs10AlO5. Limits to phase formation are given by the restriction that the M atoms must be trivalent and by geometric size restrictions for the insertion of [Cs6O] blocks in Cs10MO5. All of the suboxometalate structures show similar structural details and form mixed crystal series with statistical occupation for the M elements following the patterns Cs9(M(1)xM(2)1-x)O4 and Cs10(M(1)xM(2)1-x)O5. The suboxometalates are a new example of ordered intergrowth of ionic and metallic structure elements, allowing for the combination of properties related to both ionic and metallic materials.

Minerals with antiperovskite structure: a review

Antiperovskites or inverse perovskites are inorganic compounds with a perovskite structure but with cations replaced by anions and vice versa. It is shown that there exists a number of minerals whose structures can be regarded as based upon antiperovskite units composed of face-and corner-sharing octahedra. The structures of sulphohalite, galeite, schairerite, kogarkoite, nacaphite, arctite, polyphite, hatrurite and related compounds are considered. The 3C, 2H, 5H, 7H, 9Rand 15Rantiperovskite polytypes are described. In some cases, antiperovskite modules are intercalated with intermediate ions and complexes.