Ho2O[SiO4] und Ho2S[SiO4]: Zwei Chalkogenid‐Derivate von Holmium(III)‐ortho‐ Oxosilicat

Ho₂O[SiO₄] and Ho₂S[SiO₄]: Two Chalcogenide Derivatives of Holmium(III) ortho‐Oxosilicate Ho₂O[SiO₄] crystallizes monoclinically with the space group P2₁/c (a = 904.15(9), b = 688.93(7), c = 667.62(7) pm, β = 106.384(8)°, Z = 4) in the A‐type structure of rare‐earth(III) oxide oxosilicates. Yellow platelet‐shaped single crystals were obtained as by‐product during an experiment to synthesize Ho₃Cl[SiO₄]₂ by reacting Ho₂O₃ and SiO₂ in the ratio 4 : 6 with an excess of HoCl₃ as flux at 1000 °C for seven days in evacuated silica ampoules. Both crystallographically different Ho³⁺ cations show coordination numbers of 8+1 and 7 with coordination figures of 2+1‐fold capped trigonal prisms and octahedra, in which one of the vertices changes to an edge by two instead of one coordinating atoms, respectively. The O^2— anion not linked to silicon is surrounded tetrahedrally by four Ho³⁺ cations which built a layer parallel (100) by vertex‐ and edge‐sharing of the [OHo₄]¹⁰⁺ units according to {[(O5)(Ho1)_1/1(Ho2)_3/3]⁴⁺}. Within rhombic meshes of these layers the isolated oxosilicate tetrahedra [SiO₄]^4— come to lie. Ho₂S[SiO₄] crystallizes orthorhombically in the space group Pbcm (a = 605.87(5), b = 690.41(6), c = 1064.95(9) pm, Z = 4). It also emerged as a single‐crystalline by‐product obtained during the synthesis of Ho₂OS₂ by reaction of a mixture of Ho₂O₃, Ho and S with the wall of the evacuated silica tube used as container with an excess of CsCl as flux at 800 °C. The structure of the yellow platelet‐shaped, air and water resistant crystals also distinguishes two Ho³⁺ cations with bicapped trigonal prisms and trigondodecahedra as coordination polyhedra for CN = 8. The S^2— anions are almost square planar surrounded by four Ho³⁺ cations, but situated completely outside this plane. The [SHo₄]¹⁰⁺ squares form strongly corrugated layers perpendicular to [100] by corner‐sharing according to {[(S)(Ho1)_2/2(Ho2)_2/2]⁴⁺}. Contrary to the oxide oxosilicates the isolated oxosilicate tetrahedra [SiO₄]^4— do not lie within the rhombic meshes of these layers, but above and below the (Ho2)³⁺ cations while viewing along [100].