Structural refinements of praseodymium and neodymium orthophosphate

The crystal structures of PrPO₄ and NdPO₄ have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The structures are isostructural with CePO₄ and LaPO₄, and are monoclinic in space group $\text{P2}{}_1\text{n}$. The cell constants are a = 6.741(3), b = 6.961(4), c = 6.416(3) Å, and β = 103.63(3)° for PrPO₄ and a = 6.722(1), b = 6.933(1), c = 6.390(2) Å, and β = 103.72(2)° for NdPO₄. The least-squares structural refinements of PrPO₄ and NdPO₄ yielded R values of 0.034 and 0.038 based on 810 and 947 unique reflections, respectively. The lanthanide metal atoms are coordinated with nine oxygens and are linked together by very slightly distorted tetrahedral phosphate groups. The nine oxygen atoms ligating the lanthanide atoms form a polyhedron that is best described as a pentagonal interpenetrating tetrahedron.