Ce2[SeO3]3 and Pr2[SeO3]3: Non‐Isostructural Oxoselenates(IV) of the Light Lanthanoids

The crystal structures of Ce₂SeO₃]₃ and Pr₂SeO₃]₃ have been refined from X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction data. The compounds were obtained using stoichiometric mixtures of CeO₂, SeO₂, Ce, and CeCl₃ (molar ratio 3:3:1:1) or Pr₆O₁₁, SeO₂, Pr, and PrCl₃ (molar ratio 3:27:1:2) heated in evacuated sealed silica tubes at 830 °C for one week. Ce₂SeO₃]₃ crystallizes orthorhombically (space group: Pnma), with four formula units per unit cell of the dimensions a = 839.23(5) pm, b = 1421.12(9) pm, and c = 704.58(4) pm. Its structure contains only a single crystallographically unique Ce³⁺ cation in tenfold coordination with oxygen atoms arranged as single‐face bicapped square antiprism and two different trigonal pyramidal SeO₃]^2? groups. The connectivity among the CeO₁₀] polyhedra results in infinite sheets of face‐ and edge‐sharing units propagating normal to 001]. Pr₂SeO₃]₃ is monoclinic (space group: P2₁/n) with twelve formula units per unit cell of the dimensions a = 1683.76(9) pm, b = 705.38(4) pm, c = 2167.19(12) pm, and β = 102.063(7)°. Its structure exhibits six crystallographically distinct Pr³⁺ cations in nine‐ and tenfold coordination with oxygen atoms forming distorted capped square antiprisms or prisms (CN = 9), bicapped square antiprisms and tetracapped trigonal prisms (CN = 10), respectively. The PrO₉] and PrO₁₀] polyhedra form double layers parallel to (111) by edge‐ or face‐sharing, which are linked by nine different SeO₃]^2? groups to build up a three‐dimensional framework. In both compounds, the discrete SeO₃]^2? anions (d(Se⁴⁺–O^2?) = 166–174 pm) show the typical Ψ¹‐tetrahedral shape owing to the non‐bonding “lone‐pair” electrons at the central selenium(IV) particles. Moreover, their stereochemical “lone‐pair” activity seems to flock together in large empty channels running along 010] in the orthorhombic Ce₂SeO₃]₃ and along 101] in the monoclinic Pr₂SeO₃]₃ structure, respectively.