Synthesis,Crystal and Electronic Structure of the Nitridoaluminosilicate Ca5[Si2Al2N8]

Ca₅[Si₂Al₂N₈] was synthesized from elementary aluminum and silicon with phase‐pure tricalcium dinitride at 1280 K under dry argon in a sealed niobium ampoule. Ca₃N₂ was freshly prepared from distilled calcium metal in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. The compound crystallizes in form of transparent yellow distorted octahedra. In air and under moisture Ca₅[Si₂Al₂N₈] undergoes hydrolysis. The structure was determined from a single crystal to be orthorhombic (space group Pbcn – no. 60, a = 925.5, b = 614.0 and c = 1557.8 pm). The nitridoaluminate and ‐silicate substructures are separated into planes of edge and corner‐shared aluminate tetrahedra, which are linked by edge‐sharing double tetrahedral pillars of the silicate. The structure was confirmed by electrostatic and quantum mechanical analysis.