The Ternary System BaF2/CuF2/AlF3 and the Crystal Structure of Ba45Cu28Al17F197

The ternary system BaF₂/CuF₂/AlF₃ is investigated by X‐ray diffraction techniques and an isothermal section at 620 °C is established. It exhibits ten quaternary phases and among them Ba₄₅Cu₂₈Al₁₇F₁₉₇. This fluoride has a triclinic cell: a = 14.024(1) Å, b = 23.778(1) Å, c = 25.480(1) Å, α = 90.44(1)°, β = 90.26(1)°, γ = 107.03(1)°, Z = 2. Its crystal structure was solved in the space group P1 (n^o1), from X‐ray single crystal data using 41976 unique reflections. It is built up from a complex arrangement of aluminium and copper fluorine polyhedra, which are regular AlF₆] and strongly distorted CuF₆] octahedra, CuF₆] trigonal prisms and Cu₂F₁₀] bipolyhedral units constituted either by two octahedra, or one octahedron and one trigonal prism, connected by an edge. These polyhedra are organized in planes of about two octahedra thickness, which form a succession of sheets running perpendicularly to the 100] direction of the cell. Each sheet is constituted by infinite chains of distorted polyhedra connected by edges and vertices and linked together by the vertices of blocks of four and six polyhedra, involving aluminium fluorine octahedra and copper fluorine bipolyhedral units or octahedra. The barium ions, 10 to 14‐coordinated to fluorine atoms, ensure the electroneutrality of the structure. They are inserted inside the planes.