(A19N7)[In4]2 (A = Ca, Sr) and (Ca4N)[In2]: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, Physical Properties, and Chemical Bonding

Abstract

AbstractSingle phase powders of (A19N7)[In4]2 (A = Ca, Sr) and (Ca4N)[In2] were prepared by reaction of melt beads of the metallic components with nitrogen. The crystal structure of (Ca19N7)[In4]2 was refined based on neutron and X‐ray powder diffraction data. The crystal structure of (Sr19N7)[In4]2 was solved from the X‐ray powder pattern. The structure refinements in combination with results from chemical analyses ascertain the compositions. The compounds (A19N7)[In4]2 (A = Ca, Sr) are isotypes of (Ca19N7)[Ag4]2; (Ca19N7)[In4]2 is probably identical to the earlier reported (Ca18.5N7)[In4]2. The crystal structure of the isotypes (A19N7)[In4]2 (A = Ca, Sr; cubic, $Fm{\bar 3}m$, Ca: a = 1471.65(3) pm; Sr: a = 1561.0(1) pm) contains isolated [In4] tetrahedra embedded in a framework of edge‐ and vertex‐sharing (A6N) octahedra. Six of these octahedra are condensed by edge‐sharing around one central A2+ ion to form “superoctahedra” (A19N6) which are connected three‐dimensionally via further octahedra by corner‐sharing. The crystal structure of (Ca4N)[In2] (tetragonal, I41/amd, a = 491.14(4) pm, c = 2907.7(3) pm) consists of alternating layers of perovskite type slabs of vertex‐sharing octahedra (Ca2Ca4/2N) and parallel arranged infinite zigzag chains [In2]. In the sense of Zintl‐type counting the compounds (A2+)19(N3−)7[(In2.125−)4]2 present an electron excess, (Ca2+)4(N3−)[(In2.5−)2] is electron deficient. Metallic properties are supported by electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The analysis of the electronic structures gives evidence for the existence of homoatomic interactions In–In and significant heteroatomic metal–metal interactions Ca–In which favor the deviations of the title compounds from the (8 – N) rule.