Darstellung und Kristallstruktur von Ca5Hg3 und Sr5Cd3

Preparation and Crystal Structure of Ca₅Hg₃ and Sr₅Cd₃ Both the incongruently melting compounds, Ca₅Hg₃ and Sr₅Cd₃, have been synthesized from stoichiometric amounts of the pure elements. They crystallize with the Cr₅B₃ type of structure: space group I4/mcm, Z = 4; Ca₅Hg₃ (Sr₅Cd₃): a = 818.9(1) (871.7(1)) pm, c = 1 470.1(3) (1 660.1(3)) pm, c/a = 1.80 (1.90), R = 2.33% (2.97%). The most remarkable fragments are dumbbells X₂, which have interatomic distances only slightly longer than the sum of Pauling's covalent radii: Hg? Hg (Cd? Cd) = 306 (298) pm. The structure can be constructed by rhombic dodecahedra as the only constituent moieties. These rhombic dodecahedra are built up by eight Ca (Sr) atoms and six Hg (Cd) atoms and are furthermore centered by an additional Ca (Sr) atom. Along 001] the rhombic dodecahedra share common vertices, but along 110] they are interconnected via common triangular faces. This kind of face sharing is responsible for the short distances obtained between the polyhedra, which leads to the occurrence of the dumbbells mentioned above.