Crystal structure of K3EuSi2O7

Abstract

As part of research on the flux technique for growing alkali rare-earth elements (REE) containing silicates, tripotassium europium disilicate, K3EuSi2O7, was synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the space group P63/mcm. In the crystal structure of the title compound, one part of the Eu cations are in a slightly distorted octahedral coordination and the other part are in an ideal trigonal prismatic coordination environment. The disilicate Si2O7 groups connect four EuO6 octahedra and one EuO6 trigonal prism. Three differently coordinated potassium cations are located between them. Silicates containing the larger rare earth elements usually crystallize in a structure that contains the rare-earth cation in both a slightly distorted octahedral and an ideal trigonal prismatic coordination environment.