New insights into the application of the valence rules in Zintl phases-Crystal and electronic structures of Ba7Ga4P9, Ba7Ga4As9, Ba7Al4Sb9, Ba6CaAl4Sb9, and Ba6CaGa4Sb9

作者：He Hua; Stoyko Stanislav; Bobev Svilen^*

来源：Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 2016, 236: 116-122.

DOI：10.1016/j.jssc.2015.07.015

• Crystal structure
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction
• Barium
• Antimony
• Arsenic

Crystals of three new ternary pnictides-Ba7Al4Sb9, Ba7Ga4P9, and Ba7Ga4As9 have been prepared by reactions of the respective elements in molten Al or Pb fluxes. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the three phases are isotypic, crystallizing in the orthorhombic Ba7Ga4Sb9-type structure (space group Pmmn, Pearson symbol oP40, Z=2), for which only the prototype is known. The structure is based on TrPn(4) tetrahedra (Tr=Al, Ga; Pn=P, As, Sb), connected in an intricate scheme into 1D-ribbons. Long interchain Pn-Pn bonds (d(P-P) > 3.0 angstrom; d(As-As) > 3.1 angstrom; d(Sb-Sb) > 3.3 angstrom) account for the realization of 2D-layers, separated by Ba2+ cations. Applying the classic valance rules to rationalize the bonding apparently fails, and Ba7Ga4Sb9 has long been known as a metallic Zintl phase. Earlier theoretical calculations, both empirical and ab-initio, suggest that the possible metallic properties originate from filled anti-bonding Pn-Pn states, and the special roles of the "cations" in this crystal structure. To experimentally probe this hypothesis, we sought to synthesize the ordered quaternary phases Ba6CaTr4Sb9 (Tr=Al, Ga). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction work confirms Ba6.145(3)Ca0.855Al4Sb9 and Ba6.235(3)Ca0.765Ga4Sb9, with Ca atoms preferably substituting Ba on one of the three available sites. The nuances of the five crystal structures are discussed, and the chemical bonding in Ba7Ga4As9 is interrogated by tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital calculations.

• 出版日期2016-4