The Vibrational Spectra of a Series of Simple Phosphorus/Chromium Polyoxoanions

The infrared and Raman spectra of polycrystalline samples of K₂HPCr₂O₁₀, Na₃PCr₃O₁₃.3H₂0, K₃PCr₄O₁₆ and (NH₄)₃PCr₄O₁₆ were recorded and discussed. A general vibrational assignment for the internal vibrations of these species is proposed.

The structural characteristics of an interesting series of simple polyoxoanions of the PCr_nO^3- _3n+4 type have been determined recently^1–7. These species are essentially built from a central PO₄ -tetrahedron which share a different number of corners with CrO₄ -tetrahedra.

As part of our present studies on different physico-chemical properties of polyoxoanions, we have investigated the vibrational spectra of crystalline species containing the following anions: HPCr₂O^2- ₁₀, PCr₃O^3- ₁₃ and PCr₄O^3- ₁₆.

As the three species have some common structural features, their vibrational spectra can be analyzed and compared in terms of these common building elements, i. e., terminal CrO₃ and PO groups and POCr bridges.

The interatomic distances in the above mentioned units are also very similar in all the anions and the Cr-O distances are similar to those found in the normal (triclinic) form of K₂Cr₂O₇ ⁸.