Ag8Ca19N7 – Nitrogen Bridged Ca19N7 Superoctahedra surrounded by Silver Tetrahedra

By reacting Ca₃N₂ and silver powder at a temperature of 1300 K the subnitride Ag₈Ca₁₉N₇ was obtained. The title compound crystallizes in the space group Fm3m (No. 225) and has the lattice constant a = 1472.0(2) pm at T = 210 K and a = 1474.43(3) pm at T = 295 K. Ag₈Ca₁₉N₇ combines two very interesting, but rather different structural features, Ag₄ tetrahedra and Ca₁₉N₇ superoctahedra. An analysis of the bonding situation has been performed by means of Extended‐Hückel calculations.     

Li4Ca3Si2N6 and Li4Sr3Si2N6 – Quaternary Lithium Nitridosilicates with Isolated [Si2N6]10– Ions

The isotypic nitridosilicates Li₄Ca₃Si₂N₆ and Li₄Sr₃Si₂N₆ were synthesized by reaction of strontium or calcium with Si(NH)₂ and additional excess of Li₃N in weld shut tantalum ampoules. The crystal structure, which has been solved by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (Li₄Sr₃Si₂N₆: C2/m, Z = 2, a = 6.1268(12), b = 9.6866(19), c = 6.2200(12) Å, β = 90.24(3)°, wR₂ = 0.0903) is made up from isolated [Si₂N₆]^10– ions and is isotypic to Li₄Sr₃Ge₂N₆. The bonding angels and distances within the edge‐sharing [Si₂N₆]^10– double‐tetrahedra are strongly dependent on the lewis acidity of the counterions. This finding is discussed in relation to the compounds Ca₅Si₂N₆ and Ba₅Si₂N₆, which also exhibit isolated [Si₂N₆]^10– ions.     

Ca6[Cr2N6]H,the first quaternary nitride-hydride

The novel quaternary nitride-hydride Ca(6)[Cr(2)N(6)]H was synthesized at 1000 degrees C in sealed niobium or stainless steel tubes. It crystallizes in the space group R3 (No. 148, Z = 3) with lattice constants (A) a = 9.0042(2) and c = 9.1898(3) and contains the complex anion [Cr(2)N(6)](11)(-) with a short chromium-chromium bond length of 2.26 A. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a non-nitrogen-bridged chromium-chromium dimer in an extended structure compound. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal the compound to be paramagnetic at room temperature and with a broad antiferromagnetic ordering centered around 55 K.     

Ca4IrO6, Ca3MgIrO6 and Ca3ZnIrO6

Single crystals of tetracalcium iridium hexaoxide, Ca₄IrO₆, tricalcium magnesium iridium hexaoxide, Ca₃MgIrO₆, and tricalcium zinc iridium hexaoxide, Ca₃ZnIrO₆, were prepared via high-temperature flux growth and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The three compounds are isostructural and adopt the K₄CdCl₆ structure type, comprised of chains of alternating face-shared [CaO₆], [MgO₆] or [ZnO₆] trigonal prisms and [IrO₆] octahedra, surrounded by columns of Ca²⁺ ions.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Nitridosilicates Ca5[Si2N6] and Ca7[NbSi2N9]

Ca₅[Si₂N₆] and Ca₇[NbSi₂N₉] were obtained by reaction of Ca₃N₂, Ca₂N and Si₃N₄ (with addition of niobium powder in case of Ca₇[NbSi₂N₉]) in closed tantalum ampoules at temperatures at 1060 °C and 1000 °C, respectively. Ca₅[Si₂N₆] is monoclinic C2/c with a = 983.6(2) pm, b = 605.2(1) pm, c = 1275.7(3), β = 100.20(3)° and Z = 4 crystallising homotypically to Ba₅[Si₂N₆]. The crystal structure contains pairs of edgesharing SiN₄ tetrahedra forming isolated nitridosilicate anions of [Si₂N₆]^10?. Ca₇[NbSi₂N₉] is monoclinic P2₁/m with a = 605.1(1), b = 994.6(2), c = 899.7(2), β = 92.10(1)°, Z = 2 and crystallises in an hitherto unknown structure type. Ca₇[NbSi₂N₉] contains isolated anions [NbSi₂N₉]^14? which are composed of two edgesharing SiN₄ tetrahedra and an edge‐sharing NbN₅ pyramid. So far, such a pseudotrisilicate unit has not been observed in the family of silicates.     

New calcium germanium nitrides: Ca2GeN2, Ca4GeN4, and Ca5Ge2N6

We report three new calcium germanium nitrides synthesized as crystals from the elements in sealed niobium tubes at 760 degrees C using liquid sodium as a growth medium. Black Ca2GeN2 is isostructural with the previously reported strontium analogue. It is tetragonal P4(2)/mbc (no. 135) with a = 11.2004(8) A, c = 5.0482(6) A, and Z = 8. It contains GeN2(4-) units which have 18 valence electrons, and consequently are bent, like the isoelectronic molecule SO2. In contrast, clear, orange Ca4GeN4 with fully oxidized germanium contains isolated GeN4(8-) tetrahedra and is monoclinic P2(1)/c (no. 14) with a = 9.2823(8) A, b = 6.0429(5) A, c = 11.1612(9) A, beta = 116.498(6) degrees, and Z = 4. Clear, colorless Ca5Ge2N6, also with fully oxidized germanium, contains infinite chains, 1 infinity[GeN2N2/2(5-)], of corner-sharing tetrahedra similar to those found in pyroxenes. However, the precise structure of this latter phase has not yet been determined because of twinning problems.     

Crystal structure of a NIR‐Emitting DNA‐Stabilized Ag16 Nanocluster

DNA has been used as a scaffold to stabilize small, atomically monodisperse silver nanoclusters, which have attracted attention due to their intriguing photophysical properties. Herein, we describe the X‐ray crystal structure of a DNA‐encapsulated, near‐infrared emitting Ag₁₆ nanocluster (DNA–Ag₁₆NC). The asymmetric unit of the crystal contains two DNA–Ag₁₆NCs and the crystal packing between the DNA–Ag₁₆NCs is promoted by several interactions, such as two silver‐mediated base pairs between 3′‐terminal adenines, two phosphate–Ca²⁺–phosphate interactions, and π‐stacking between two neighboring thymines. Each Ag₁₆NC is confined by two DNA decamers that take on a horse‐shoe‐like conformation and is almost fully shielded from the solvent environment. This structural insight will aid in the determination of the structure/photophysical property relationship for this class of emitters and opens up new research opportunities in fluorescence imaging and sensing using noble‐metal clusters.     

X-ray diffraction investigations of Ag2ReCl6 and Ag2OsCl6

Complex salts Ag₂ReCl₆ and Ag₂OsCl₆ were synthesized and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction analysis, elemental analysis, and IR spectroscopy. The resulting compounds were demonstrated to be isostructural. It was found that the principal structural motif of the compounds under study is similar to that of K₂ReCl₆. Published inIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1314–1316, July, 2000.     

Discrete Pr6Pd Octahedra in Pr6Pd13Cd4 – An Intermetallic Analogon to the Subnitride Na16Ba6N

The new intermetallic compound Pr₆Pd₁₃Cd₄ was synthesized from the elements in a sealed tantalum ampoule in an induction furnace. Pr₆Pd₁₃Cd₄ was investigated by X‐ray powder and single crystal diffraction: Na₁₆Ba₆N type, , a = 975.6(1) pm, wR2 = 0.0192, 162 F² values and 12 variables. The striking motif of the Pr₆Pd₁₃Cd₄ structure are discrete palladium centred Pr₆ octahedra (296 pm Pr–Pd1) in bcc packing. The octahedra are embedded by a three‐dimensional [Pd₃Cd] network with short Pd–Pd (282 pm) and Pd–Cd (274 pm) distances. The structural similarities with the subnitrides Na₁₆Ba₆N and Ag₁₆Ca₆N are discussed.     

Über die Verbindung Ca4PtO6

During the recovery of Pt from reaction products of the catalytic NH₃ oxidation by CaO filters a compound is formed, which has been described and structurell investigated as Ca₄PtO₆ by CZAYA¹).     

Ce16Si15O6N32—An Oxonitridosilicate with Silicon Octahedrally Coordinated by Nitrogen

A rarity in solid‐state chemistry is octahedrally coordinated silicon. Ce₁₆Si₁₅O₆N₃₂ is the first nitridosilicate with this structural motif. Most oxosilicates containing octahedrally coordinated silicon are high‐pressure phases. In contrast to that Ce₁₆Si₁₅O₆N₃₂ has been synthesized under ambient pressure. An SiN₆ octahedron that is surrounded by two parallel rings formed from six Si(O,N)₄ tetrahedra is depicted.     

Synthesis and Characterization of the Highly Unstable Metalloid Cluster Ag64(PnBu3)16Cl6

The reduction of (ⁿBu₃P)AgCl with LiBH(^sBu)₃ in toluene gives the metalloid silver cluster Ag₆₄(PⁿBu₃)₁₆Cl₆ ( 1 ) as dark red, temperature‐ and light‐sensitive single crystals in high yield. 1 is the largest structurally characterized metalloid silver cluster exhibiting chlorine and phosphine substituents only. The silver atoms in 1 show an overall brick‐shape arrangement, where structural resemblance to the close‐packed fcc and hcp structures is realized. Within 1 a 58 electron closed shell system is present. The light sensitivity renders 1 as a model compound for the primary seeds of the photo process, whereby this sensitivity, together with the high‐yield synthesis show that 1 is a perfect starting compound for further investigations like silver‐plating processes.