The Silicides M4Si4 with M = Na,K, Rb,Cs, and Ba2Si4 – NMR Spectroscopy and Quantum Mechanical Calculations

The Zintl phases M₄Si₄ with M = Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Ba₂Si₄ feature a common structural unit, the Si₄^4– anion. The coordination of the anions by the cations varies significantly. This allows a systematic investigation of the bonding situation of the anions by ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. The compounds were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, ²³Na, ²⁹Si, ⁸⁷Rb, ¹³³Cs NMR spectroscopy, and quantum mechanical calculation of the NMR coupling parameter. The chemical bonding was investigated by quantum mechanical calculations of the electron localizability indicator (ELI). Synthesis of the compounds results for all of them in single phase material. A systematic increase of the isotropic ²⁹Si NMR signal shift with increasing atomic number of the cations is observed by NMR experiments and quantum mechanical calculation of the NMR coupling parameter. The agreement of experimental and theoretical results is very good allowing an unambiguous assignment of the NMR signals to the atomic sites. Quantum mechanical modelling of the NMR shift parameter indicates a dominant influence of the cations on the isotropic ²⁹Si NMR signal shift. In contrast to this a negligible influence of the geometry of the anions on the NMR signal shift is obtained by these model calculations. The origin of the systematic variation of the isotropic NMR signal shift is not yet clear although an influence of the charge transfer estimated by calculation using the QTAIM approach is indicated.