Pr10[Si10−xAlxO9+xN17−x]Cl with x ≈ 1 – an Oxonitridoaluminosilicate Chloride

The oxonitridoaluminosilicate chloride Pr₁₀Si_10?xAl_xO_9+xN_17?x]Cl was obtained by the reaction of praseodymium metal, the respective chloride, AlN and Al(OH)₃ with “Si(NH)₂” in a radiofrequency furnace at temperatures around 1900 °C. The crystal structure was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (Pbam, no. 55, Z = 2,a = 10.5973(8) Å, b = 11.1687(6) Å, c = 11.6179(7) Å, R1 = 0.0337). The sialon crystallizes isotypically to the oxonitridosilicate halides Ce₁₀Si₁₀O₉N₁₇]Br, Nd₁₀Si₁₀O₉N₁₇]Br and Nd₁₀Si₁₀O₉N₁₇]Cl, which represent a new layered structure type. The structure refinement was performed utilizing an O/N‐distribution model according to Paulings rules, i.e. nitrogen was positioned on all bridging sites and mixed O/Noccupation was assumed on the terminal sites resulting in charge neutrality of the compounds. The Si and Al atoms were refined equally distributed on their three crystallographic sites, due to their poor distinguishability by X‐ray analysis. The tetrahedra layers of the structure consist of condensed (Si,Al)N₂(O,N)₂] and (Si,Al)N₃(O,N)] tetrahedra of Q² and Q³ type. The chemical composition of the compound was derived from electron probe micro analyses (EPMA).