Ca6GaN5 und Ca6FeN5. Verbindungen mit [CO3]2?-isosteren Anionen [GaN3]c? und [FeN3]6?

Spin Chains with Highly Quantum Character through Strong Covalency in Ca3CrN3

The insulating transition metal nitride Ca3CrN3 consists of sheets of triangular [CrN3]6- units with C2v symmetry that are connected via quasi-1D zigzag chains. Due to strong covalency between Cr and N, Cr3+ ions are unusually low-spin, and S = 1/2. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal dominant quasi-1D spin correlations with very large nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic exchange J = 340 K and yet no sign of magnetic order down to T = 0.1 K. Density functional theory calculations are used to model the local electronic structure and the magnetic interactions, supporting the low-spin assignment of Cr3+ that is driven by strong π donation from the nitride ligands. The surprising failure of interchain exchange to drive long-range magnetic order is accounted for by the complex connectivity of the spin chain pairs that further frustrates order. Our combined results establish Ca3CrN3 as a nearly ideal manifestation of a quantum spin chain whose dynamics remain unquenched down to extraordinarily low temperatures despite strong near-neighbor exchange coupling.

Identification of a Ternary Nitride Ti10Cu3N4 with a Unique Structure Type

This study presents the synthesis and detailed structural analysis of the ternary nitride Ti10Cu3N4. Initially identified as Ti3CuN within the Ti-Cu-N ternary phase diagram, its crystal structure remained unresolved and was characterized solely as belonging to the tetragonal crystal system. Through a comprehensive structural analysis, this study proposes a revised stoichiometry as Ti10Cu3N4; its crystal structure represents a previously unreported structure type within the P4 2 /mnm space group. Its atomic arrangement was elucidated through a combination of X-ray powder diffraction profile analysis and density functional theory calculations, corroborated by neutron diffraction studies. Furthermore, the hydrogen storage properties of Ti10Cu3N4 were characterized, demonstrating a hydrogen absorption capacity of approximately 0.6 wt % with desorption occurring in the temperature range of 200-550 °C.

Nitridochromate(IV) fluoride - LiCa8[CrN3]2N2F

LiCa8[CrIVN3]2N2F (Pnnm (#58), a = 17.5230(13) Å, b = 7.3379(5) Å, c = 4.9433(4) Å) is an example of a multinary nitridochromate fluoride, that provides additional information on almost elusive tetravalent nitridochromates. Shorter Cr-N bond lengths compared to those in the previously reported nitridochromates(III), as well as diamagnetic behavior and vibrational spectroscopy data suggest Cr(IV), which is in good agreement with the charge balance and crystal structure refinement. According to band structure calculations, LiCa8[CrIVN3]2N2F is a semiconductor with a band gap of 1.1 eV. The compound features trigonal planar [CrN3]5- units of Cs symmetry, and lithium, calcium, nitrogen and fluorine atoms arranged in a fragment of the rock salt type structure.

Non-innocent cyanido ligands: tetracyanidoferrate(-II) as carbonyl copycat

While a negative oxidation state occurs rarely for metals in general, this is commonly known for metal carbonyl anions, i.e. carbonyl metalates. Although CO and CN^- are isoelectronic, cyanidometalates usually do not exhibit metal centers with negative oxidation states. However, we report on the electron-rich tetrahedral tetracyanidoferrate(-II) anion [Fe(CN)₄]^6-, which was stabilized in (Sr₃N)₂[Fe(CN)₄] (space group R3c, a = 702.12(2) pm, c = 4155.5(2) pm). Microcrystalline powders were synthesized by a solid-state route, single crystals were obtained from Na metal flux. In comparison to classical cyanidometalates, C-N distances are longer and stretching frequencies are lower as indicated by X-ray diffraction, IR and Raman spectroscopy. Weak C-N, strong Fe-C bonds as well as the anion geometry resemble the isoelectronic tetrahedral carbonyl ferrate [Fe(CO)₄]^2-. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements reveal a negative isomer shift in agreement with substantially delocalized d electrons due to strong π back-bonding. These results point to a very similar bonding situation of both 18e tetracyanido and tetracarbonyl ferrates including non-innocent redox-active ligands and a d¹⁰ closed shell configuration on iron. Hereby, new tetracyanidoferrate(-II) provides a missing link for a more in-depth understanding of the chemical bonding trends of highly-reduced cyanidometalates in the quest for even higher reduced transition metals in this exceptional class of compounds.

Preparation of iron(IV) nitridoferrate Ca4FeN4 through azide-mediated oxidation under high-pressure conditions

Transition metal nitrides are an important class of materials with applications as abrasives, semiconductors, superconductors, Li-ion conductors, and thermoelectrics. However, high oxidation states are difficult to attain as the oxidative potential of dinitrogen is limited by its high thermodynamic stability and chemical inertness. Here we present a versatile synthesis route using azide-mediated oxidation under pressure that is used to prepare the highly oxidised ternary nitride Ca₄FeN₄ containing Fe⁴⁺ ions. This nitridometallate features trigonal-planar [FeN₃]⁵⁻ anions with low-spin Fe⁴⁺ and antiferromagnetic ordering below a Neel temperature of 25 K, which are characterised by neutron diffraction, ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer and magnetisation measurements. Azide-mediated high-pressure synthesis opens a way to the discovery of highly oxidised nitrides.

High-valent metal nitrides are difficult to stabilise due to the high thermodynamic stability and chemical inertness of N₂. Here, the authors employ a large volume press to prepare an iron(IV) nitridoferrate Ca₄Fe^IVN₄ from Fe₂N and Ca₃N₂ via azide-mediated oxidation under high pressure conditions.

Elastic, electronic, chemical bonding and thermodynamic properties of the ternary nitride Ca4TiN4: Ab initio predictions

In order to shed light on the unexplored properties of the ternary nitride Ca₄TiN₄, we report for the first time the results of an ab initio study of its structural, electronic, elastic, chemical bonding and thermodynamic properties. Calculated equilibrium structural parameters are in excellent concordance with available experimental data. Electronic properties were explored through the calculation of the energy band dispersions and density of states. It is found that Ca₄TiN₄ has an indirect band gap (Z-Γ) of 1.625 (1.701) eV using LDA (GGA). Nature of the chemical bonding was studied via Mulliken population analysis and charge density distribution map. It is found that the Ca-N bond is dominantly ionic, whereas the Ti-N one is dominantly covalent. Elastic properties of both single-crystal and polycrystalline phases of the title compound were explored in details using the stain-stress approach. Analysis of the calculated elastic moduli reveals that the title compound is mechanically stable, ductile and elastically anisotropic. Temperature and pressure dependencies of the unit-cell volume, bulk modulus, heat capacities, volume thermal expansion coefficient, Grüneisen parameter and Debye temperature were investigated based on the quasiharmonic Debye model.

Theoretical study on the structural, electronic and physical properties of layered alkaline-earth-group-4 transition-metal nitrides AEMN2

Thermodynamic, structural, and electronic properties of the layered ternary nitrides AEMN₂ (AE = alkaline-earth; M = group 4 transition metal) both with the KCoO₂ and α-NaFeO₂ structure-types are examined within density-functional theory.

Synthesis of New Nitrides Using Solid State Oxide Precursors

Several novel transition metal nitrides were synthesized via ammonolysis of solid state oxide precursors at temperatures ranging from 700°C-900°C and reaction times ranging from 12 hours to 4 days. Both intermetallic nitrides, Fe3Mo3N and Co3Mo3N, and ionic/covalent nitrides, FeWN2, MnWN2, Ta5N6 and Nb5N6, were prepared by this method. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and their structures were determined by powder X-ray Rietveld refinement. The intermetallic nitrides were found to be isostructural with the eta-carbide structure, Fe3W3C, while the ionic/covalent nitrides have layered structures, with metals in octahedral and trigonal prismatic coordination environments. Two polymorphs of the MnWN2 composition, α-MnWN2 and β-MnWN2, were isolated after ammonolysis at 700°C and 800°C, respectively. While the alpha phase can be converted into the beta phase by heating to 800°C under ammonia, annealing the beta phase at 700°C did not result in a structural transformation. Magnetic measurements show that FeWN2 orders antiferromagnetically at 45K. The magnetic ordering temperature was confirmed by M6ssbauer spectroscopy. All the other nitrides were paramagnetic down to 5K. Conductivity measurements show that FeWN2 and MnWN2 are metallic.

Nitridogermanate nitrides Sr7[GeN4]N2 and Ca7[GeN4]N2: synthesis employing sodium melts, crystal structure, and density-functional theory calculations

The alkaline earth nitridogermanate nitrides AE(7)[GeN(4)]N(2) (AE = Ca, Sr) have been synthesized using a Na flux technique in sealed Ta tubes. According to single-crystal X-ray diffraction the isotypic compounds crystallize in space group Pbcn (No. 60) with Z = 4, (Sr(7)[GeN(4)]N(2): a = 1152.6(2), b = 658.66(13), c = 1383.6(3) pm, V = 1050.5(4) x 10(6) pm(3), R1 = 0.049; Ca(7)[GeN(4)]N(2): a = 1082.6(2), b = 619.40(12), c = 1312.1(3) pm, V = 879.8(3) x 10(6) pm(3), R1 = 0.016). Owing to the high N/Ge ratio, the compounds contain discrete N(3-) ions coordinated by six AE(2+) besides discrete [GeN(4)](8-) tetrahedrons. One of the AE(2+) ion is coordinated by only four N(3-) ions, which is rather an unusual low coordination number for Sr(2+). Together with the isolated [GeN(4)](8-) tetrahedrons, these Sr(2+) ions form chains of alternating cation centered edge sharing tetrahedrons. The electronic structure and chemical bonding in Sr(7)[GeN(4)]N(2) has been analyzed employing linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) band structure calculations.

Nitridocompounds of manganese: manganese nitrides and nitridomanganates

The chemistry of nitrides and nitridometalates is a rapidly growing field in solid state chemistry. This short review is intended to give a brief but comprehensive over-view on the compounds and phases formed with manga-nese, which cover an especially broad range of oxidation states. Furthermore, the present paper tries to put the ob-served structures and properties of the compounds into a broader context.

Two New Structurally Related Strontium Gallium Nitrides: Sr4GaN3O and Sr4GaN3(CN2)

The strontium gallium oxynitride Sr(4)GaN(3)O and nitride-carbodiimide Sr(4)GaN(3)(CN(2)) are reported, synthesized as single crystals from molten sodium at 900 degrees C. Red Sr(4)GaN(3)O crystallizes in space group Pbca (No. 61) with a = 7.4002(1) Angstroms, b = 24.3378(5) Angstroms, c = 7.4038(1) Angstroms, and Z = 8, as determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements at 150 K. The structure may be viewed as consisting of slabs [Sr(4)GaN(3)](2+) containing double layers of isolated [GaN(3)](6-) triangular anions arranged in a "herringbone" fashion, and these slabs are separated by O(2-) anions. Brown Sr(4)GaN(3)(CN(2)) has a closely related structure in which the oxide anions in the Sr(4)GaN(3)O structure are replaced by almost linear carbodiimide [CN(2)](2-) anions [Sr(4)GaN(3)(CN(2)): space group P2(1)/c (No. 14), a = 13.4778(2) Angstroms, b = 7.4140(1) Angstroms, c = 7.4440(1) Angstroms, beta = 98.233(1) degrees, and Z = 4].

The indium subnitrides Ae6In4(InxLiy)N(3-z)(Ae = Sr and Ba)

The indium nitrides Sr6In4(In(0.32)Li(0.92))N(2.49) and Ba6In(4.78)N(2.72) have been synthesized from an excess of molten sodium. They crystallize in a stuffed variant of the eta-carbide structure type in the cubic space group Fdm with Z = 8. The lattice parameters are a = 14.3752(4) and 15.216(1) A, with cell volumes 2970.6(2) and 3523.3(6) A3, respectively. In both compounds there are vacancies on some of the indium and nitrogen sites and, in the case of Sr6In4(In(0.32)Li(0.92))N(2.49), mixed lithium-indium occupancy of one metal site. It is demonstrated that the partial and mixed occupancies act to carefully tune to electron count to almost fulfill the bonding requirements of the stellar quadrangular subnets of both compounds. Four probe resistivity measurements performed upon a pellet of Sr6In4(In(0.32)Li(0.92))N(2.49) show it to have a room-temperature resistivity of 6.3 mOmega.cm with a weak temperature dependence.

Synthesis and structure of Sr3GaN3 and Sr6GaN5: strontium gallium nitrides with isolated planar [GaN3]6- anions

Two new strontium gallium nitrides were obtained as single crystals by reaction in molten Na. Black Sr(3)GaN(3) is isostructural with its transition metal analogues, Sr(3)MnN(3), Ba(3)MnN(3), Sr(3)CrN(3), Ba(3)CrN(3), and Ba(3)FeN(3), and is the first example of a 313-ternary nitride containing only main group metals. It crystallizes in space group P6(3)/m (No. 176) with a = 7.584(2) A, c = 5.410(3) A, and Z = 2. Black Sr(6)GaN(5) is isostructural with Ca(6)GaN(5) and also with its transition metal analogues, Ca(6)MnN(5) and Ca(6)FeN(5). It crystallizes in space group P6(3)/mcm (No. 193) with a = 6.6667(6) A, c = 12.9999(17) A, and Z = 2. Both Ga compounds contain isolated planar [GaN(3)](6)(-) nitridometallate anions of D(3)(h)() symmetry.

Synthesis and Structure of the New Ternary Nitride SrTiN(2)

A new ternary nitride, SrTiN(2), has been synthesized by the solid-state reaction of Sr(2)N with TiN and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. SrTiN(2) crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4/nmm (a = 3.8799(2) Å, c = 7.6985(4) Å, Z = 2) and is isostructural with KCoO(2). Titanium is coordinated to five nitrogens in a distorted square-based pyramidal geometry, forming layers of edge-sharing pyramids which stack along the (001) direction. Strontium is situated between the Ti-N layers and is coordinated to five nitrogen atoms. The title compound is only the third example of a ternary titanium nitride.

Synthesis and Structure of One-, Two-, and Three-Dimensional Alkaline Earth Metal Gallium Nitrides: Sr(3)Ga(2)N(4), Ca(3)Ga(2)N(4), and Sr(3)Ga(3)N(5)

We report the structures of three new alkaline earth metal gallium nitrides synthesized as crystals from the elements in sealed Nb tubes at 760 degrees C using Na/Sr and Na/Ca melts as growth media. The materials are all transparent insulators. Yellow Sr(3)Ga(2)N(4) is isostructural with the previously reported Ba(3)Ga(2)N(4) and Sr(3)Al(2)N(4). It crystallizes in Pnna (No. 52) with a = 5.9552(6) Å, b = 10.2753(8) Å, c = 9.5595(9) Å, and Z = 4. It contains infinite chains, [GaN(4/2)(3)(-)], of trans-edge-shared tetrahedra extending along the b axis. Colorless Ca(3)Ga(2)N(4) is isostructural with Ca(3)Al(2)As(4) and gamma-Ca(3)Al(2)N(4). It crystallizes in C2/c (No. 15) with a = 10.6901(11) Å, b = 8.3655(7) Å, c = 5.5701(4) Å, beta = 91.194(6) degrees, and Z = 4. It contains infinite sheets, [GaN(4/2)(3)(-)], of edge- and corner-sharing tetrahedra in the bc plane. Orange-yellow Sr(3)Ga(3)N(5) has a new structure; it crystallizes in P&onemacr; (No. 2) with a = 5.9358(6) Å, b = 7.2383(8) Å, c = 8.6853(12) Å, alpha = 108.332(10) degrees, beta = 103.783(9) degrees, gamma = 95.326(8) degrees, and Z = 2. It is one of the few materials prepared from Na melts which has an infinite three-dimensional framework structure. It contains a [Ga(3)N(5)(6)(-)] framework of edge- and corner-sharing GaN(4) tetrahedra.

The chemical bonding topology of ternary and quaternary transition metal nitrides containing low-coordinate metal atoms

Solid state ternary and quaternary metal nitrides containing a transition metal and one or two very electropositive metals such as alkali and (or) alkaline earth metals exhibit a number of structures containing low-coordinate transition metals in the transition metal – nitrogen subnetwork. Transition metal – nitrogen double and even triple bonds are found in these structures involving dπ → pπ bonding from a filled transition metal d orbital to an otherwise empty nitrogen p orbital. Such multiply bonded nitrogen atoms function as strong field ligands in contrast to amido ligands such as (Me3Si)2N−, which generally function as weak field ligands in transition metal chemistry. The transition metal environment in these ternary nitrides can be modelled by "banana bonds" from the polyhedron using the atomic orbitals required for both the σ- and π-bonding to the nitride ligands, e.g., the trigonal prism for the trigonal planar derivatives MIIIN36− (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe) with three M=N double bonds as well as FeIIN24− in Li4FeIIN2 with two Fe≡N triple bonds and the planar square for the discrete linear CoIN25− in LiSr2CoN2. Reasonable electron counts are also obtained for the anionic metal–nitrogen networks in Ca2FeN2, Sr2LiFe2N3, Ba2LiFe2N3, Li3FeN2, CaNiN, Li3Sr3Ni4N4, BaNiN, and Ba8Ni6N7. Keywords: chemical bonding, topology, nitrides, transition metals.