The Crystal Structures of Zr3Al3C5, ScAl3C3, and UAl3C3and Their Relation to the Structures of U2Al3C4and Al4C3

Single crystals of Zr₃Al₃C₅—a carbide previously reported with the formula ZrAlC_2−x—were isolated from a sample prepared by reaction of ZrC with an excess of aluminum. The carbides ScAl₃C₃and UAl₃C₃were synthesized from the elemental components by arc-melting. The crystal structures of these three compounds were redetermined from four-circle X-ray diffractomter data. In the original structure determination of ZrAlC_2−x, the metal positions were found to form close-packed layers in the space groupP6₃/mmc, while the carbon atoms were assumed to occupy 5/6 of the octahedral voids at random. The present structure determination in the space groupP6₃/mc(R=0.024 for 519 structure factors and 23 variable parameters) shows that all carbon positions are fully occupied and one has a trigonal bipyramidal aluminum coordination. The structures of ScAl₃C₃and UAl₃C₃also have originally been determined in the space groupP6₃/mmc. The present structure refinements in the space groupP6₃mc(ScAl₃C₃:R=0.031 for 282Fvalues and 16 variables; UAl₃C₃:R=0.029 for 217Fvalues and 16 variables) essentially confirms the structures with the exception of one aluminum site. In all of these structures the metal atoms are arranged in close-packed layers and together with the previously reported structure of U₂Al₃C₄they form a homologous series with the general formulaT_1+nAl₃C_3+n, wheren=0, 1, 2 for ScAl₃C₃, U₂Al₃C₄, and Zr₃Al₃C₅, respectively. The packing of the metal atoms is represented by the Zhdanov symbols (4)₂, (5)₂, and (6)₂. The arrangement of the aluminum atoms is very similar to that of the binary carbide Al₄C₃, while the other metal atoms form a cubic stacking sequence, as it is found in the binary carbidesTC with NaCl type structure.