Relations structurales entre U3O8 et quelques fluorures mixtes de formules M2M′3F11, MM′2F7 et MM′3F10

U₃O₈ oxide, as well as M₂M′₃F₁₁, MM′₂F₇ and MM′₃F₁₀ fluorides, with M = Rb, Tl, Cs, NH₄ and M′ = In, Lu, Yb, Tm, is described as the regular repetition according to the … A-A-A … sequence of identical and parallel sheets of edge-and corner-sharing M′F₇ or UO₇ pentagonal bipyramids and M′F₆ octahedra. M′ and U atoms are systematically located at the lattice points of a pseudohexagonal network, but in the fluorides some of these lattice points are vacant, producing hexagonal tunnels in which M atoms are located. It is shown that in the two kinds of compounds the same linear chains and M′₃X₁₇ groups of pentagonal bipyramids are present, and that the transformation of the U₃O₈ structure into the fluorides can be achieved by an ordered substitution of some linear … UOUO … chains by … M-M-M … chains. All these structures can be described with the same structural model based on the chemical twinning principle.