Chromium‐based clinopyroxene‐type germanates NaCrGe2O6 and LiCrGe2O6 at 298 K

The structure analyses of sodium chromium digermanate, NaCrGe₂O₆, (I), and lithium chromium digermanate, LiCrGe₂O₆, (II), provide important structural information for the clinopyroxene family, and form part of our ongoing studies on the phase transitions and magnetic properties of clinopyroxenes. (I) shows C2/c symmetry at 298 K, contains one Na, one Cr (both site symmetry 2 on special position 4e), one Ge and three O‐atom positions (on general positions 8f) and displays the well known clinopyroxene topology. The basic units of the structure of (I) are infinite zigzag chains of edge‐sharing Cr³⁺O₆ octahedra (M1 site), infinite chains of corner‐sharing GeO₄ tetrahedra, connected to the M1 chains by common corners, and Na sites occupying interstitial space. (II) was found to have P2₁/c symmetry at 298 K. The structure contains one Na, one Cr, two distinct Ge and six O‐atom positions, all on general positions 4e. The general topology of the structure of (II) is similar to that of (I); however, the loss of the twofold symmetry makes it possible for two distinct tetrahedral chains, having different conformation states, to exist. While sodium is (6+2)‐fold coordinated, lithium displays a pure sixfold coordination. Structural details are given and chemical comparison is made between silicate and germanate chromium‐based clinopyroxenes.     

Synthetic aenigmatite analog Na2(Mn5.26Na0.74)Ge6O20: structure and crystal chemical considerations

Disodium hexamanganese(II,III) germanate is the first aenigmatite‐type compound with significant amounts of manganese. Na₂(Mn_5.26Na_0.74)Ge₆O₂₀ is triclinic and contains two different Na positions, six Ge positions and 20 O positions (all with site symmetry 1 on general position 2i of space group P). Five out of the seven M positions are also on general position 2i, while the remaining two have site symmetry (Wyckoff positions 1f and 1c). The structure can be described in terms of two different layers, A and B, stacked along the [011] direction. Layer A contains pyroxene‐like chains and isolated octahedra, while layer B is built up by slabs of edge‐sharing octahedra connected to one another by bands of Na polyhedra. The GeO₄ tetrahedra show slight polyhedral distortion and are among the most regular found so far in germanate compounds. The M sites of layer A are occupied by highly charged (trivalent) cations, while in layer B a central pyroxene‐like zigzag chain can be identified, which contains divalent (or low‐charged) cations. This applies to the aenigmatite‐type compounds in general and to the title compound in particular.     

Dicalcium heptagermanate Ca2Ge7O16 revised

The structure of dicalcium heptagermanate, previously described with an orthorhombic space group, has been redetermined in the tetragonal space group . It contains three Ge positions (site symmetry 1, ..2 and 2.22, respectively), one Ca position (..2) and four O atoms, all on general 8i positions (site symmetry 1). A sheet of four‐membered rings of Ge tetrahedra (with Ge on the 8i position) and isolated Ge tetrahedra (Ge on the 4g position) alternate with a sheet of Ge octahedra (Ge on the 2d position) and eightfold‐coordinated Ca sites along the c direction in an ABABA… sequence. The three‐dimensional framework of Ge sites displays a channel‐like structure, evident in a projection on to the ab plane.     

Ca3GeO4Cl2 with a norbergite‐like structure

The title compound, tricalcium monogermanate dichloride, is orthorhombic and consists of one distinct Ge site on special position 4c, site symmetry m, and two different Ca sites, Ca1 and Ca2, one on general position 8d, site symmetry 1, and the other on special position 4c. Two of the O atoms occupy the 4c position (symmetry m); the third O atom is situated on the general 8d position, symmetry 1, as is the one distinct Cl position. By sharing common edges, the distorted Ca1 octahedra form infinite crankshaft‐like chains parallel to the b direction. Along a and c, these chains are connected to one another via common corners, thereby forming a three‐dimensional framework of edge‐ and corner‐sharing Ca1O₄Cl₂ octahedra. Triangular prisms of Ca2O₄Cl₂ polyhedra and GeO₄ tetrahedra fill the interstitial space within the Ca1 polyhedral framework. Relationships between the structures of the title compound and the humite‐type materials norbergite (Mg₃SiO₄F₂) and Mn₃SiO₄F₂ are discussed.     

Ca7.96Cu0.04Ge5O18: a new calcium germanate with GeO4 and Ge3O10 units

The title compound, octa­calcium copper penta­germanium octa­deca­oxide, represents a new inter­mediate phase between CaO and GeO₂, and has not previously been reported in the literature. The structure consists of three different Ge sites, two of them on general 8d positions, site symmetry 1, one on special position 4d, site symmetry 2. Three of the five Ca sites occur on 8d positions, site symmtery 1, one Ca is on 4b with site symmetry and one Ca is on 4c with site symmetry 2. All nine O atoms have symmetry 1 (8d position). By sharing common edges, the Ca sites form infinite bands parallel to the c axis, and these bands are inter­connected by isolated GeO₄ and Ge₃O₁₀ units. These (100) layers are stacked along a in an ABAB… sequence, with the B layer being inverted and displaced along b/2.     

Li4Ge2B as a new derivative of the Mo2B5 and Li5Sn2 structure types

Binary and multicomponent intermetallic compounds based on lithium and p‐elements of Groups III–V of the Periodic Table are useful as modern electrode materials in lithium‐ion batteries. However, the interactions between the components in the Li–Ge–B ternary system have not been reported. The structure of tetralithium digermanium boride, Li₄Ge₂B, exhibits a new structure type, in the noncentrosymmetric space group R3m, in which all the Li, Ge and B atoms occupy sites with 3m symmetry. The title structure is closely related to the Mo₂B₅ and Li₅Sn₂ structure types, which crystallize in the centrosymmetric space group Rm. All the atoms in the title structure are coordinated by rhombic dodecahedra (coordination number = 14), similar to the atoms in related structures. According to electronic structure calculations using the tight‐binding–linear muffin‐tin orbital–atomic spheres approximation (TB–LMTO–ASA) method, strong covalent Ge—Ge and Ge—B interactions were established.     

The diphyllosilicate Rb2(VO)2[Si8O19]

Dirubidium divanadyl phyllooctasilicate, Rb₂(VO)₂[Si₈O₁₉], is the first known anhydrous diphyllosilicate containing V^IV. The structure consists of silicate double layers which are separated by [V₂O₈]⁸⁻ dimers and is related to that of the compounds A₂Cu₂[Si₈O₁₉] (A = Rb or Cs), although the title compound crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic space group. The silicate double layers contain four tetrahedrally coordinated Si sites in general positions and 12 O sites, nine in general positions and the other three on mirror planes. The vanadyl dimers have two square‐pyramidally coordinated V sites (site symmetry m). There are two different 10‐ and 12‐fold coordinated Rb sites with site symmetry m, one of which is a split position located between the dimers in the interlayer space, while the other is in a channel within the silicate layer.     

Ba3Li2V2O7Cl4, a new vanadate with a channel structure

The tribarium dilithium divanadate tetrachloride Ba₃Li₂V₂O₇Cl₄ is a new vanadate with a channel structure and the first known vanadate containing both Ba and Li atoms. The structure contains four non‐equivalent Ba²⁺ sites (two with m and two with 2/m site symmetry), two Li⁺ sites, two nonmagnetic V⁵⁺ sites, five O²⁻ sites (three with m site symmetry) and four Cl⁻ sites (m site symmetry). One type of Li atom lies in LiO₄ tetrahedra (m site symmetry) and shares corners with VO₄ tetrahedra to form eight‐tetrahedron Li₃V₅O₂₄ rings and six‐tetrahedron Li₂V₄O₁₈ rings; these rings are linked within porous layers parallel to the ab plane and contain Ba²⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. The other Li atoms are located on inversion centres and form isolated chains of face‐sharing LiCl₆ octahedra.     

(K4Li4)Al8Ge8O32·8H2O: an Li+‐exchanged potassium aluminogermanate with the zeolite gismondine (GIS) topology

The title compound, lithium potassium dialuminium di­ger­man­ium octaoxide dihydrate, (K,Li)‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS (GIS is gismondine), is the result of a 50% Li⁺ exchange into the K‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS structure. The (K,Li)‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS structure was determined from a 4 × 4 × 2 µm octahedral single crystal at the ESRF synchrotron X‐ray source. The ion exchange results in a symmetry transformation from I2/a for K‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS to C2/c for (K,Li)‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS. The structural change is due to disordering of K⁺ ions with Li⁺ ions along the [001] channel and ordering of water molecules in the [101] channels. The distance between sites partially occupied by K⁺ ions increases from 2.19 (3) Å in K‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS to 2.94 (3) Å in (K,Li)‐(Al,Ge)‐GIS. The Li⁺ ions occupy positions along the twofold axis at the intersection of the eight‐membered‐ring channels in a twofold coordination with water mol­ecules. For the four closest framework O²⁻ anions, the Li⃛O distances are 3.87 (4) Å.     

Lithium and sodium yttrium ortho­silicate oxy­apatite,LiY9(SiO4)6O2 and NaY9(SiO4)6O2, at both 100 K and near room temperature

Lithium yttrium orthosilicate oxyapatite [lithium nonayttrium hexakis­(silicate) dioxide], LiY₉(SiO₄)₆O₂, crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P6₃/m at both 295 and 100 K. The structure closely resembles those of fluorine apatite and sodium yttrium orthosilicate oxyapatite [sodium nonayttrium hexakis­(silicate) dioxide], NaY₉(SiO₄)₆O₂, which was also investigated, at 270 and 100 K, in this study. There are two different crystallographic sites for the Y³⁺ ion, which are coordinated by seven and nine O atoms. One‐fourth of the nine‐coordinated site is occupied by Li or Na atoms, thus maintaining charge balance. The Si atom occupies a tetrahedral site. The two compounds show no symmetry change between room temperature and 100 K, and the alterations in structural parameters are small.     

A New Germanium Complex Containing Chelating Pyridinecarboxylate Ligands: cis‐Dihydroxybis(pyridine‐2‐carboxylato‐κN1,κO2)germanium Hydrate (1 : 2) (cis‐[Ge(pyca)2(OH)2]⋅2 H2O)

A new germanium complex, cis‐[Ge(pyca)₂(OH)₂]?2 H₂O ( 1 ; pyca=pyridine‐2‐carboxylato), was synthesized by the reaction of [Ge(acac)₂Cl₂] (acac=acetylacetonato=pentane‐2,4‐dionato) with potassium pyridine‐2‐carboxylate (Kpyca) in H₂O/THF. According to the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, each Ge‐atom of 1 is coordinated by two pyca ligands and two OH^? groups (Fig. 1). These molecules are bonded to each other via a system of H‐bonds resulting in a sheet‐like structure (Fig. 2). The complex is decomposed during heating with stepwise mass loss and formation of GeO₂ as final product (Fig. 3).     

A new high‐pressure strontium germanate,SrGe2O5

The Sr–Ge–O system has an earth‐scientific importance as a potentially good low‐pressure analog of the Ca–Si–O system, one of the major components in the constituent minerals of the Earth's crust and mantle. However, it is one of the germanate systems that has not yet been fully examined in the phase relations and structural properties. The recent findings that the SrGeO₃ high‐pressure perovskite phase is the first Ge‐based transparent electronic conductor make the Sr–Ge–O system interesting in the field of materials science. In the present study, we have revealed the existence of a new high‐pressure strontium germanate, SrGe₂O₅. Single crystals of this compound crystallized as a co‐existent phase with SrGeO₃ perovskite single crystals in the sample recovered in the compression experiment of SrGeO₃ pseudowollastonite conducted at 6 GPa and 1223 K. The crystal structure consists of germanium–oxygen framework layers stacked along [001], with Sr atoms located at the 12‐coordinated cuboctahedral site; the layers are formed by the corner linkages between GeO₆ octahedra and between GeO₆ octahedra and GeO₄ tetrahedra. The present SrGe₂O₅ is thus isostructural with the high‐pressure phases of SrSi₂O₅ and BaGe₂O₅. Comparison of these three compounds leads to the conclusion that the structural responses of the GeO₆ and GeO₄ polyhedra to cation substitution at the Sr site are much less than that of the SrO₁₂ cuboctahedron to cation substitution at the Ge sites. Such a difference in the structural response is closely related to the bonding nature.     

Yttrium pyrogermanate,Y2Ge2O7

The structure of diyttrium digermanate, Y₂Ge₂O₇, has been determined in the tetragonal space group P4₃2₁2. It contains one Y, one Ge (both site symmetry 1 on general position 8b) and four O atoms [one on special position 4a (site symmetry ..2) and the remaining three on general positions 8b]. The basic units of the structure are isolated Ge₂O₇ groups, sharing one common O atom and displaying a Ge—O—Ge angle of 134.9 (3)°, and infinite helical chains of pentagonal YO₇ dipyramids, parallel to the 4₃ screw axis. The crystal investigated here represents the left‐handed form of the tetragonal R₂Ge₂O₇ compounds (R = Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺ and Lu³⁺).     

Hexalithium hexadecahydrate decavanadate, [Li6(H2O)16V10O28]n

The novel title compound, poly­[octa‐μ‐aqua‐octa­aqua‐μ‐decavanadato‐hexalithium], contains [V₁₀O₂₈]⁶⁻ polyanions with 2/m symmetry linked by centrosymmetric [Li₆(H₂O)₁₆]⁶⁺ cation chains. The [V₁₀O₂₈]⁶⁻ polyanions form a two‐dimensional network with [Li₆(H₂O)₁₆]⁶⁺ chains via O‐polyanion–Li‐chain coordination, with Li—O bond lengths in the range 2.007 (5)–2.016 (5) Å. The hexalithium hexadecahydrate chain is composed of a centrosymmetric pair of LiO₆ octahedra and four distorted LiO₄ tetrahedra. Hydro­gen bonds occur between the polyanion and the Li‐based chains, and within the Li‐based chains.     

Ca3ZnGeO2[Ge4O12]: a Ca–Zn germanate related to the mineral taikanite

The title compound, Ca₃ZnGeO₂[Ge₄O₁₂] (tricalcium zinc germanium dioxide dodecaoxidotetragermanate), adopts a taikanite‐type structure. The tetrahedral [Ge₄O₁₂] chain geometry is very similar to that of the silicate chain of taikanite, i.e. BaSr₂Mn³⁺₂O₂[Si₄O₁₂], while the major difference is found parallel to the c axis. In taikanite, Mn³⁺ octahedra form an infinite zigzag chain, whereas the title compound has a chain of distorted ZnO₆ octahedra, which alternates with distorted GeO₄ tetrahedra connected to each other via two common edges. Eightfold‐coordinated Ca²⁺ polyhedra and ZnO₆ octahedra form a slab parallel to (001) which alternates with another slab containing the tetrahedrally coordinated Ge sites along the c axis.     

Crystal Growth and Structure Refinement of K4Ge9

Deep‐red moisture and air sensitive single crystals of K₄Ge₉ were obtained by reacting GeO₂ and elemental Ge with metallic W and K at high temperature in a niobium ampoule. The crystal structure of the compound was determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction experiments. K₄Ge₉ crystallizes in a polar space group R3c (No. 161), Z = 4 with a = 21.208(1) and c = 25.096(2) Å. The compound contains discrete Ge₉^4? Wade's nido‐clusters which are packed according to a hierarchical atom‐to‐cluster replacement of the Cr₃Si prototype and are separated by K⁺ cations. Two independent [Ge₉]^4? clusters A (at Cr positions) and B (at Si positions) are found with a ratio A:B = 3:1. The B ‐type cluster satisfactorily represents orientational disorder around the three‐fold axis.     

A new strontium borophosphate,Sr6BP5O20, from synchrotron powder data

Strontium borophosphate, Sr₆BP₅O₂₀, was prepared by a solution synthesis method. The crystal structure was solved ab initio from synchrotron powder data without preliminary knowledge of the chemical formula. The compound crystallizes in space group Ic2. Sr atoms occupy sites coordinated by eight or nine O atoms, and the anionic layer consists of BO₄ and PO₄ tetra­hedra. The eightfold‐coordinated Sr atom lies at a site with twofold symmetry, while one P atom and the B atom are located on special positions of site symmetry .     

Commensurate monoclinic form of Ca2Zn0.97Co0.03Ge2O7

Cobalt‐doped dicalcium zinc germanate, synthesized by slow cooling from the melt, is monoclinic and has a layered structure, which is different from the modulated melilite‐type structure of Ca₂ZnGe₂O₇. The monoclinic form has two different Ca, one Zn and two Ge sites, and seven independent O‐atom positions; all are in general position 4e of the space group P2₁/n. The topology of the structure is described and compared with that of Ca₂ZnGe_1.25Si_0.75O₇.     

ZnTe6O13, a new ZnO–TeO2 phase

Our investigations into the ZnO–TeO₂ system have produced a new phase, zinc(II) hexatellurium(IV) tridecaoxide, ZnTe₆O₁₃, with trigonal (R) symmetry, synthesized by repeated heating and cooling to a maximum temperature of 1053 K. The asymmetric unit consists of a Zn atom coordinated in a distorted octahedral fashion by two unique tellurium(IV) oxide units that form trigonal–bipyramidal TeO₄ and TeO₃₊₁ corner‐ and edge‐shared polyhedra. Except for the Zn and an O atom, which occupy 6c positions, all atoms occupy 18f general positions.     

The layered structure of poly­[[di‐μ‐chloro‐bis­[chloro(2‐ethyl­tetrazole‐κN4)copper(II)]]‐di‐μ‐2‐ethyl­tetrazole‐κ2N1:N4]

In the polymeric title complex, [CuCl₂(C₃H₆N₄)₂]_n, there are two ligands in the asymmetric unit. The Cu atom adopts an elongated octahedral geometry, with two 2‐ethyl­tetrazole ligands [Cu—N = 2.0037 (16) and 2.0136 (16) Å] and two Cl atoms [Cu—Cl = 2.2595 (6) and 2.2796 (6) Å] in equatorial positions. A Cl atom and a symmetry‐related 2‐ethyl­tetrazole mol­ecule [Cu—Cl = 2.8845 (8) Å and Cu—N = 2.851 (2) Å] lie in the axial positions of the octahedron. One of the two 2‐­ethyltetrazole ligands of the asymmetric unit exhibits bidentate binding to two Cu atoms through two N atoms of the tetrazole ring, whereas the other ligand is coordinated in a monodentate fashion via one tetrazole N atom. The Cu‐atom octahedra form dimer entities by sharing edges with equatorial and axial Cl atoms. The dimers are linked together through the 2‐ethyl­tetrazole ligands to form one‐dimensional polymeric zigzag chains extending along the b axis. The chains are connected into infinite layers parallel to the (10) plane via the 2‐ethyl­tetrazole ligands.