Neubestimmung der Kristallstruktur von NbOCl3

NbOCl₃ was obtained from a reaction of NbCl₅ and Nb₂O₅ at 260?C. Contrary to the literature data, NbOCl₃ crystallizes in the non‐centrosymmetric space group P&4macr;2₁m as determined by single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction data (crystal: a = b = 1089.59(6) pm, c = 394.79(2) pm, Z = 4, R₁ = 0.0229, wR₂ = 0.0459, powder: a = b = 1086.36(6) pm, c = 393.65(2) pm). The niobium atoms are surrounded by distorted octahedra built of four chlorine atoms and two oxygen atoms in trans positions. Two such octahedra are edge‐bridged through shared chlorine atoms, forming dimers. These units are linked to each other by apical oxygen atoms forming one‐dimensional Nb₂Cl₆O₂ chains parallel [001]. Contrary to the literature data two different Nb‐O distances are obtained.