Crystal structure of silver metagermanate, Ag2GeO3

Abstract

The crystal structure of Ag2GeO3was determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data (CuKα1) using the Rietveld method. The title compound is orthorhombic with space groupP212121,Z=4, unit-cell dimensionsa=0.463 09(1) nm,b=0.713 93(2) nm, andc=1.040 79(3) nm, andV=0.344 10(2) nm3. The final reliability indices wereRwp=5.58%,S=1.26,Rp=4.20%,RB=0.67% , andRF=0.35% . The GeO4tetrahedra form infinite chains of [Ge2O6] along theaaxis, with two tetrahedra per identity period of 0.463 nm. Individual chains are connected by Ag atoms, one-half of which are almost linearly coordinated by two O atoms and the rest are coordinated by three O atoms. The relatively short Ag-Ag distances of 0.299 to 0.339 nm indicate Ag(I)-Ag(I) interaction. This compound is isostructural with Ag2SiO3.