Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New Alkali Metal Tantalum Sulfide: Na3TaS4

Needle-shaped, moisture sensitive, yellow crystals of Na₃TaS₄ were obtained by the reaction of Na₂S₃, Ta, and S at 450 °C. The structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and refined to R1 and wR2 values of 0.0172 and 0.0381, respectively. Na₃TaS₄ crystallizes with 32 formula units in the orthorhombic space group Fdd2 (No.: 43) with a = 27.113(4), b = 28.326(6) and c = 7.918(1) Å. The structure consists of discrete tetrahedral TaS₄^3– ions and Na⁺ ions.