β-BaV2(P2O7)2: A New Polymorph of Barium Vanadium (III) Pyrophosphate Characterized by Intersecting Tunnels

Investigation into the synthesis of reduced vanadium phosphate has led to the formation of a new form of the barium vanadium (III) pyrophosphate compound β-BaV₂(P₂O₇)₂. It is a polymorph of the previously known BaV₂(P₂O₇)₂, which is now labeled as the α-phase. The title compound crystallizes in the P-1 (No. 2) space group with a = 6.269(1) Å, b = 7.864(3) Å, c = 6.1592(9) Å, α = 101.34(2)°, β = 105.84(1)°, and γ = 96.51(2)°. The structure consists of corner-shared VO₆ octahedra and PO₄ tetrahedra that are connected in V-O-P-O-V and V-O-P-O-P-O-V bonding arrangements. This interesting three-dimensional framework is characterized by seven types of intersecting tunnels, three of which are occupied by the barium cation, while the others are empty. It is important to know that one of the empty tunnels has a relatively large window with a minimum diagonal distance of 4.41 Å, which facilitates a possible framework for a lithium ion insertion reaction. The barium atom has a 10-coordination sphere, BaO₁₀, in which the oxygen atoms can be viewed as forming two intersecting pseudohexagonal planes. β-BaV₂(P₂O₇)₂ appears to form at a relatively higher temperature than its polymorph, α-BaV₂(P₂O₇)₂. A detailed structural analysis and structural comparison with the α-phase, as well as a brief comparison with SrV₂(P₂O₇)₂, are presented.