Structure determination of beta-Pb2ZnF6 by coupling multinuclear solid state NMR, powder XRD and ab initio calculations

The results from one-dimensional multinuclear (19F, 207Pb and 67Zn) magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance experiments combined with the use of the ISODISPLACE program allow for the space group determination of beta-Pb2ZnF6 (no. 138 P4(2)/ncm). The structure was refined from X-ray powder diffraction data (a = 5.633 (1) A and c = 16.247 (1) A, Z = 4). beta-Pb2ZnF6 has one six-fold coordinated Zn, one eleven-fold coordinated Pb and five F non-equivalent crystallographic sites and is built from alternated layers parallel to the (a, b) plane; tilted ZnF4(2-) layers of corner sharing ZnF6(4-) octahedra and FPb+ layers of edge sharing FPb4(7+) tetrahedra. The structure of beta-Pb2ZnF6 was then optimized using the ab initio code WIEN2k and the calculated 67Zn EFG is in agreement with the NMR results. 19F-19F proximities and 19F-207Pb connectivities were evidenced using through-space and through-bond NMR correlation experiments, respectively, and support the proposed structure. 19F-207Pb J-coupling was also used to select fluorine resonances depending on the number of neighbouring lead ions, leading to an unambiguous assignment of the different 19F resonances.