Crystal Structures of NbOI3 and NbOBr3 – Polar Double Chains in Different Non‐centrosymmetric Structures

NbOI₃ was obtained from a reaction of Nb₂O₅, Nb, and I₂. Single crystals free from disorder were a by‐product from a reaction with additional CsI. The monoclinic crystal structure (C2, a = 14.624(3) Å, b = 3.9905(8) Å, c = 12.602(3) Å, β = 120.4(3)°, Z = 4, R₁(F) = 0.0368, wR₂(F²) = 0.0804) represents a new structure type which is built up by distorted octahedral NbI₄O₂ with unequal O‐atoms in trans‐position. The octahedra are linked to dimers by a common edge of iodine atoms and to double chains by the apical oxygen atoms. A non‐centrosymmetric structure results because the short Nb–O distances point to the same direction and the polar double chains are parallel. The crystal structure of NbOBr₃ (NbOCl₃‐type, , a = 11.635(6) Å, c = 3.953(2) Å, R₁(F) = 0.082, wR₂(F²) = 0.174) shows the same polar double chains but the dimeric units Nb₂Br₆O₂ are orthogonal.