Mixed‐Valence Thallium(I,III) Bromides The Crystal Structure of α—Tl2Br3

Thallium sesquibromide Tl₂Br₃ is dimorphic. Scarlet coloured crystals of α‐Tl₂Br₃ were obtained by reactions of aqueous solutions of TlBr₃ and Tl₂SO₄ in agarose gel. In case of rapid crystallisation of hydrous TlBr₃/TlBr solutions and from TlBr/TlBr₂ melts ß‐Tl₂Br₃ is formed as scarlet coloured, extremely thin lamellae. The crystal structures of both forms are very similar and can be described as mixed‐valence thallium(I)‐hexabromothallates(III) Tl₃[TlBr₆]. In the monoclinic unit cell of α‐Tl₃[TlBr₆] (a = 26.763(7) Å; b = 15.311(6) Å; c = 27.375(6) Å; β = 108.63(2)°, Z = 32, space gr. C2/c) the 32 Tl^III‐cations are found in strongly distorted octahedral TlBr₆ groups. The 96 Tl^I cations are surrounded either by four or six TlBr₆ groups with contacts to 8 or 9 Br neighbors. Crystals of β‐Tl₃[TlBr₆] by contrast show almost hexagonal metrics (a = 13.124(4) Å, b = 13.130(4) Å, c = 25.550(7) Å, γ = 119.91(9)°, Z = 12, P2₁/m). Refinements of the parameters revealed structural disorder of TlBr₆ units, possibly resulting from multiple twinning. Both structures are composed of Tl₂[TlBr₆]^— and Tl₄[TlBr₆]⁺ multilayers, which alternate parallel (001). The structural relationships of the complicated structures of α‐ and β‐Tl₃[TlBr₆] to the three polymorphous forms of Tl₂Cl₃ as well as to the structures of monoclinic hexachlorothallates M₃TlCl₆ (M = K, Rb) and the cubic elpasolites are discussed.