Crystal structures of NaBaCr2F9 and NaBaFe2F9: Structural correlations with other enneafluorides,particularly with KPbCr2F9

NaBaCr₂F₉ and NaBaFe₂F₉ are monoclinic (SG $\text{P2}{}_1\text{n}$, No. 14). Lattice constants are found to be a = 7.318(2) Å, b = 17.311(4) Å, c = 5.398(1) Å, β = 91.14°(3) for chromium, and a = 7.363(2) Å, b = 17.527(4) Å, c = 5.484(1) Å, β = 91.50°(5) for iron. The structures were solved from 507 and 1113 X-ray reflections, respectively, for the Cr and Fe compounds; the corresponding R_w values are 0.025 and 0.037. The network is built from tilted double cis chains of octahedra (M₂F₉)^3n?_n [M = Cr, Fe], linked by Na⁺ and Ba²⁺ ions. The structures are compared to the previously described structures, particularly KPbCr₂F₉, whose symmetry and parameters are different. The difference is analyzed first in terms of tilted octahedra, but principally in terms of bond strengths and steric activity of the Pb²⁺ lone pair. A mechanism is proposed for the transformation between the structures of NaBaCr₂F₉ and KPbCr₂F₉.