Cu(Cu0.44Cr4.56)Ge2O12: a close‐packed oxide with CuO4 tetra­hedra

The structure of copper(I,II) penta­chromium(III) germanate, Cu(Cu_0.44Cr_4.56)Ge₂O₁₂, contains one Cu position (m2m), one Ge position (m) and three Cr positions (2/m, m and 2). The close‐packed structure is described in terms of slabs of edge‐sharing Cr³⁺O₆ octa­hedra and isolated CuO₄ and GeO₄ tetra­hedra. These slabs are aligned parallel to the bc plane and are separated from each other by GeO₄ tetra­hedra along a. The tetra­hedral coordination observed for the Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ ions represents an unusual feature of the structure. The Cr—O and Cu—O bond lengths are compared with literature data.