Crystal Growth from Silica Gels and Single Crystal Structure of Bariumchromate

Rhombic single crystals of bariumchromate were grown in silica gels up to 1.5 mm in size. The influence of the initial pH-value of the gel and the kind and concentration of reactants are studied. The crystal structure has been determined. The compound crystallizes in space group Pnma, with cell dimensions a = 9.113(4) Å, b = 5.528(3) Å, c = 7.336(4) Å and Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.062 on the basis of 364 reflections. Every barium atome, centered in a distorted archimedian antiprism, is coordinated to 8 oxygen atoms each belonging to a chromate tetrahedron. Interatomic distances and bond angles were calculated.