Abstract: | Structure and Properties of Ba2Mg3Si4, a Zintl Phase with Planar Si6 Units Within the scope of the investigations on the phase system Ba/Mg/Si a new ternary Zintl phase of the composition Ba2Mg3Si4 was found and structurally characterized. The silicon substructure is built up of Si2 pairs and a new type of Zintl anion, a planar Si6 chain. Temperature dependent measurements of the electric conductivity and the magnetic susceptibility show a metallic behavior. Accompanying quantumchemical investigations on the base of the LMTO-ASA method confirm these results and allow an insight in the present bond situation. |