Zur Kristallstruktur von Rb2C2 und Cs2C2

On the Crystal Structure of Rb₂C₂ and Cs₂C₂ By reaction of rubidium or caesium solved in liquid ammonia with acetylene AC₂H with A = Rb, Cs was obtained, which was subsequently converted into the binary acetylide A₂C₂ in vacuum at temperatures of 520 K (Rb₂C₂) and 470 K (Cs₂C₂) using a surplus of the respective alkali metal. The crystal structures of the very air sensitive compounds were solved and refined by a combination of both neutron and X‐ray powder diffraction data. Rb₂C₂ as well as Cs₂C₂ coexist in two modifications. The hexagonal modification (P 6 2m, Z = 3) crystallises in the known Na₂O₂ structure type with two crystallographic independent sites for the C₂^2– dumbbells. For the orthorhombic modification (Pnma, Z = 4) a new structure type was found, which is related to the PbCl₂ structure type with ordered C₂^2– dumbbells occupying the Pb sites. Temperature dependent investigations between 4 K and the decomposition temperature by the means of neutron and X‐ray powder diffraction resulted in a very complex dynamic disorder of the C₂ dumbbells, which is still not completely understood. The frequencies of the C–C stretching vibration determined by the help of Raman spectroscopy fit nicely to the results obtained for other alkali metal acetylides and alkali metal hydrogen acetylides. These results seem to indicate that the electronegativity of the alkali metal has a strong influence on the frequency of the C–C stretching vibration.