Ordered BaAl4-type variants in the BaAu(x)Sn(4-x) system: a unified view on their phase stabilities versus valence electron counts.

Three ordered structures of the tetragonal BaAl4 type were identified in the Ba-Au-Sn system, from which a unified view of the interplay between the valence electron counts (VECs) and phase stabilities of these three types of derivatives can be developed. The BaNiSn3 (I4mm), ThCr2Si2 (I4/mmm), and CaBe2Ge2 (P4/nmm) type BaAu(x)Sn(4-x) phases occurred respectively at x = 0.78(1)-1, 1.38(1)-1.47(1), and 1.52(1)-2.17(1), consistent with theoretical atomic "coloring" analyses that reveal an optimal VEC of ∼14 for the ThCr2Si2 type but larger and smaller values respectively for the BaNiSn3- and CaBe2Ge2-type structures.

Hexagonal-diamond-like gold lattices, Ba and (Au,T)3 interstitials, and delocalized bonding in a family of intermetallic phases Ba2Au6(Au,T)3 (T = Zn, Cd, Ga, In, or Sn).

Au-rich polar intermetallics exhibit a wide variety of structural motifs, and this hexagonal-diamond-like gold host is unprecedented. The series Ba2Au6(Au,T)3 (T = Zn, Cd, Ga, In, or Sn), synthesized through fusion of the elements at 700-800 °C followed by annealing at 400-500 °C, occur in space group R3[overline]c (a ≈ 8.6-8.9 Å, c ≈ 21.9-22.6 Å, and Z = 6). Their remarkable structure, generated by just three independent atoms, features a hexagonal-diamond-like gold superstructure in which tunnels along the 3-fold axes are systematically filled by interstitial Ba atoms (blue) and triangles of disordered (Au,T)3 atoms (green) in 2:1 proportions. The Au/Zn mixing in the latter spans ~34 to 87% Zn, whereas the Au/Sn result is virtually invariant compositionally. Complementary bonding between the gold lattice and the disordered (Au,T)3 units is substantial and very regular. Bonding and charge density analyses indicate delocalized bonding within the gold host and the (Au,T)3 triangular units, and moderately polarized bonding between Ba and the electronegative framework. The new structure can also be viewed empirically as the result of an atom-by-triad [i.e., Ba by (Au,T)3 triangle] topological substitution in a BaAu2 (AlB2-type) superstructure.

Y3MnAu5: three distinctive d-metal functions in an intergrown cluster phase.

The new Y(3)MnAu(5) intermetallic phase is obtained from the arc-melted elements in virtually quantitative yields after annealing at 1000 °C for ~3 d. Its remarkable structure [rhombohedral, R3, Z = 6; a = 8.489(1) Å, c = 18.144(2) Å] consists of a 2:1 cubic-close-packed intergrowth between edge-shared Mn-centered Au rhombohedra (Mn@Au(8)) with gold-centered antiprismatic (Au@Y(6)) clusters via a common gold network. Magnetic susceptibility (χ) data for Y(3)MnAu(5) were fitted by a Curie-Weiss law. The Curie constant indicates a large effective moment corresponding to nearly localized Mn spins S = 5/2, and the Weiss temperature demonstrates the dominance of ferromagnetic (FM) interactions. An antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at T(N) = 75 K and a possible spin reorientation transition at 65 K were observed. Analysis of the χ data for T < T(N) suggests a planar noncollinear helical AFM structure that arises from competing AFM interactions between FM-aligned layers of spins in the ab-plane with a turn angle of 69° between the spins along the helix c-axis. A magnetic field-induced spin flop transition is observed below T(N). Spin-polarized LMTO-LSDA calculations indicate an ~2 eV splitting of the Mn 3d states and a metallic ground state, and their COHP analyses demonstrate that ~81% of the total Hamilton populations originate from heteroatomic polar Y-Au and Mn-Au bonding. The Mn 3d, Y 4d, and Au 5d characteristics are remarkably diverse: localized and magnetically polarized for Mn; reducing and cationic for Y; and relativistically strongly bonded and oxidizing for Au, bonding of the latter two being broadly delocalized.

Gold network structures in rhombohedral and monoclinic Sr2Au6(Au,T)3 (T = Zn, Ga). A transition via relaxation.

Quantitative syntheses, structure determinations and interpretations, and band calculations are reported for the nonstoichiometric rhombohedral (R3c) and monoclinic (C2/c) Sr2Au6(Au(3-x)T(x)) (T = Zn, Ga) compounds. Several different compositions of the two Sr phases were similarly refined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data as R3c: a ≈ 8.43 Å, c ≈ 21.85 Å, Z = 6 and C2/c: a ≈ 14.70 Å, b ≈ 8.47 Å, c ≈ 8.70 Å, ß ≈ 123.2°, Z = 4. The R3c Zn phase is stable in the composition region x ∼ 2.5-2.9 whereas its C2/c neighbor is the major product at x ∼ 2.2-2.3. Gallium versions of both were also identified. Both R3c and C2/c structural types contain hexagonal-diamond-like gold superlattices stuffed with strings of interstitial Sr and disordered triangular (Au,T)3 units. The latter space group is a maximal, nonisomorphic subgroup of the former, and the decrease in interstitial radius from Ba to Sr (∼0.08 Å experimentally) evidently drives the symmetry reduction, relaxation, and small distortions, principally around the Sr sites. Au-Au bonding among the Au hexagons in the host lattices and with gold components in the triangular interstitials is dominant and reflected in their tight packing and short interatomic separations.

Polyclusters and substitution effects in the Na-Au-Ga system: remarkable sodium bonding characteristics in polar intermetallics.

A systematic exploration of Na- and Au-poor parts of the Na-Au-Ga system (less than 15 at. % Na or Au) uncovered several compounds with novel structural features that are unusual for the rest of the system. Four ternary compounds Na1.00(3)Au0.18Ga1.82(1) (I), NaAu2Ga4 (II), Na5Au10Ga16 (III), and NaAu4Ga2 (IV) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction: Na1.00(3)Au0.18Ga1.82(1)(I, P6/mmm, a = 15.181(2), c =9.129(2)Å, Z = 30); NaAu2Ga4 (II, Pnma, a = 16.733(3), b = 4.3330(9), c =7.358(3) Å, Z = 4); Na5Au10Ga16 (III, P6(3)/m, a = 10.754(2), c =11.457(2) Å, Z = 2); and NaAu4Ga2 (IV, P2(1)/c, a = 8.292(2), b = 7.361(1), c =9.220(2)Å, ß = 116.15(3), Z = 4). Compound I lies between the large family of Bergman-related compounds and Na-poor Zintl-type compounds and exhibits a clathrate-like structure containing icosahedral clusters similar to those in cubic 1/1 approximants, as well as tunnels with highly disordered cation positions and fused Na-centered clusters. Structures II, III, and IV are built of polyanionic networks and clusters that generate novel tunnels in each that contain isolated, ordered Na atoms. Tight-binding electronic structure calculations using linear muffin-tin-orbital (LMTO) methods on II, III, IV and an idealized model of I show that all are metallic with evident pseudogaps at the Fermi levels. The integrated crystal orbital Hamilton populations for II-IV are typically dominated by Au-Ga, Ga-Ga, and Au-Au bonding, although Na-Au and Na-Ga contributions are also significant. Sodium's involvement into such covalency is consistent with that recently reported in Na-Au-M (M = Ga, Ge, Sn, Zn, and Cd) phases.

Substantial Cd-Cd bonding in Ca6PtCd11: a condensed intermetallic phase built of pentagonal Cd7 and rectangular Cd4/2Pt pyramids.

The novel intermetallic Ca6PtCd11 is orthorhombic, Pnma, Z = 4, with a = 18.799(2) Å, b = 5.986(1) Å, c = 15.585(3) Å. The heavily condensed network contains three types of parallel cadmium chains: apically strongly interbonded Cd7 pentagonal bipyramids, linear Cd arrays, and rectangular Cd4/2Pt pyramids. All of the atoms have 11-13 neighbors. Calculations by means of the linear muffin-tin orbitals method in the atomic spheres approximation indicate that some Cd-Cd interactions correspond to notably high Hamilton populations (1.07 eV per average bond) whereas the Ca-Ca covalent interactions (integrated crystal orbital Hamiltonian population) are particularly small (0.17 eV/bond). (Pt-Cd interactions are individually greater but much less in aggregate.) The Ca-Ca separations are small, appreciably less than the single bond metallic diameters, and unusually uniform (Δ = 0.14 Å). The Cd atoms make major contributions to the stability of the phase via substantial 5s and 5p bonding, which include back-donation of Cd 5s, 5p and Pt 5d into Ca 3d states in the principal bonding modes for Ca-Cd and Ca-Pt. Bonding Ca-Ca, Ca-Cd, and Cd-Cd states remain above EF, and some relative oxidation of Ca in this structure seems probable. Ca6PtCd11 joins a small group of other phases in which Cd clustering and Cd-Cd bonding are important.

Disorder-order structural transformation in electron-poor Sr3Au8Sn3 driven by chemical bonding optimization.

Sr3Au8Sn3 was synthesized through fusion of a stoichiometric amount of pure metals at 800 °C and annealing treatments at lower temperatures. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that Sr3Au8Sn3 has a La3Al11-type Immm structure (a = 4.6767(8) Å, b = 9.646(2) Å, c = 14.170(2) Å, Z = 2) if annealed at 550 °C and above but a Ca3Au8Ge3-type structure (Pnnm, a = 9.6082(8) Å, b = 14.171(1) Å, c = 4.6719(4) Å, Z = 2) if annealed at 400 °C. The transition occurs at about 454 °C according to DTA data. Both structures feature columns of Sr-centered pentagonal and hexagonal prisms of Au and Sn stacked along the respective longest axial directions, but different "colorings" of the polyhedra are evident. In the high-temperature phase (Immm) all sites shared between the two prisms adopt 50:50 mixtures of Au/Sn atoms, whereas in the low-temperature phase (Pnnm) Au or Sn are completely ordered. A Klassengleiche group-subgroup relationship was established between these two structures. LMTO-ASA calculations reveal that ΔE for the disorder-to-order transformation on cooling is driven mainly by optimization of the Au-Au and Au-Sn bond populations around the former mixed Au/Sn sites, particularly those with extremely short bonds at the higher temperature. These gains also overcome the smaller effect of ordering on the entropy decrease.

Cluster chemistry in electron-poor Ae-Pt-Cd systems (Ae = Ca, Sr, Ba): (Sr,Ba)Pt2Cd4, Ca6Pt8Cd16, and its known antitype Er6Pd16Sb8.

Three new ternary polar intermetallic compounds, cubic Ca6Pt8Cd16, and tetragonal (Sr, Ba)Pt2Cd4 have been discovered during explorations of the Ae-Pt-Cd systems. Cubic Ca6Pt8Cd16 (Fm-3m, Z = 4, a = 13.513(1) Å) contains a 3D array of separate Cd8 tetrahedral stars (TS) that are both face capped along the axes and diagonally bridged by Pt atoms to generate the 3D anionic network Cd8[Pt(1)]6/2[Pt(2)]4/8. The complementary cationic surface of the cell consists of a face-centered cube of Pt(3)@Ca6 octahedra. This structure is an ordered ternary variant of Sc11Ir4 (Sc6Ir8Sc16), a stuffed version of the close relative Na6Au7Cd16, and a network inverse of the recent Er6Sb8Pd16 (compare Ca6Pt8Cd16). The three groups of elements each occur in only one structural version. The new AePt2Cd4, Ae = Sr, Ba, are tetragonal (P42/mnm,Z = 2, a ≈ 8.30 Å, c ≈ 4.47 Å) and contain chains of edge-sharing Cd4 tetrahedra along c that are bridged by four-bonded Ba/Sr. LMTO-ASA and ICOHP calculation results and comparisons show that the major bonding (Hamilton) populations in Ca6Pt8Cd16 and Er6Sb8Pd16 come from polar Pt-Cd and Pd-Sb interactions, that Pt exhibits larger relativistic contributions than Pd, that characteristic size and orbital differences are most evident for Sb 5s, Pt8, and Pd16, and that some terms remain incomparable, Ca-Cd versus Er-Pd.

Formation of nets of corner-shared bicapped gold squares in SrAu3Ge: how a BaAl4-type derivative reconciles fewer valence electrons and the origin of its uniaxial negative thermal expansion.

SrAu(3)Ge was synthesized by direct fusion of the mixed elements at high temperature followed by annealing treatments, and its structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction means in space group (Pearson symbol: tP10) P4/nmm, a = 6.264(1) Å, c = 5.5082(9) Å, Z = 2 at room temperature. The structure of SrAu(3)Ge, a reapportioned √2 × âˆš2 × 1 superstructure of CeMg(2)Si(2) (P4/mmm), exhibits checkerboard nets of corner-shared bicapped Au squares (or corner-shared Au(Au(4/2))Ge octahedra), in which the apical Au-Ge pairs in adjoining nets are strongly interbonded in the c direction. This motif contrasts with that of the common BaAl(4) (I4/mmm) prototype in which Al squares in comparable layers are alternately monocapped by Al from the top or the bottom. Typical examples show valence electron counts (vec) between 12 and 16 for the BaAl(4) type and that for CeMg(2)Si(2) is similar, 15. The special stability of SrAu3Ge, with vec = 9, derives from significant relativistic contribution of the Au 5d(10) states to the Au-Ge and Au-Au bonding. These factors are also recognized in the marked redistribution of Au and Ge site occupancies from those in CeMg(2)Si(2). SrAu(3)Ge exhibits a pronounced uniaxial negative thermal expansion along c, with a coefficient of -1.57 versus 2.16 × 10(-5) K(-1) in a and b. The reticulated Au(5)Ge octahedral layers expand in the ab plane on heating, whereas the strong, interlayer Au-Ge bonds remain fixed.

Gold derivatives of eight rare-earth-metal-rich tellurides: monoclinic R7Au2Te2 and orthorhombic R6AuTe2 types.

Two series of rare-earth-metal (R) compounds, R(7)Au(2)Te(2) (R = Tb, Dy, Ho) and R(6)AuTe(2) (R = Sc, Y, Dy, Ho, Lu), have been synthesized by high-temperature techniques and characterized by X-ray diffraction analyses as monoclinic Er(7)Au(2)Te(2)-type and orthorhombic Sc(6)PdTe(2)-type structures, respectively. Single-crystal diffraction results are reported for Ho(7)Au(2)Te(2), Lu(6)AuTe(2), Sc(6)Au(0.856(2))Te(2), and Sc(6)Au(0.892(3))Te(2). The structure of Ho(7)Au(2)Te(2) consists of columns of Au-centered tricapped trigonal prisms (TCTPs) of Ho condensed into 2D zigzag sheets that are interbridged by Te and additional Ho to form the 3D network. The structure of Lu(6)AuTe(2) is built of pairs of Au-centered Lu TCTP chains condensed with double Lu octahedra in chains into 2D zigzag sheets that are separated by Te atoms. Tight binding-linear muffin-tin orbital-atomic sphere approximation electronic structure calculations on Lu(6)AuTe(2) indicate a metallic property. The principal polar Lu-Au and Lu-Te interactions constitute 75% of the total Hamilton populations, in contrast to the small values for Lu-Lu bonding even though these comprise the majority of the atoms. A comparison of the theoretical results for Lu(6)AuTe(2) with those for isotypic Lu(6)AgTe(2) and Lu(6)CuTe(2) provides clear evidence of the greater relativistic effects in the bonding of Au. The parallels and noteworthy contrasts between Ho(7)Au(2)Te(2) (35 valence electrons) and the isotypic but much electron-richer Nb(7)P(4) (55 valence electrons) are analyzed and discussed.

BaAu(x)Zn(13-x): electron-poor cubic NaZn13-type intermetallic and its ordered tetragonal variant.

Cubic NaZn(13)-type (Fm-3c, Z = 8) BaAu(x)Zn(13-x) compounds in the regions 1 ≤ x ≤ 5.4 (a = 12.418(1)-12.590(1) Å) and 6.4 ≤ x ≤ 8 (a = 12.630(1)-12.660(1) Å) plus an ordered tetragonal variant near x = 6 (P4/nbm; a = 8.8945(4) Å, c = 12.646(1) Å; Z = 4) have been synthesized and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction. Although the cubic structure contains Zn-centered, mixed (Zn, Au) icosahedra connected in alternate orientations via mixed tetrahedral stars (TS), the icosahedron vertices are ordered in the tetragonal structure. Both the inner and the outer tetrahedra in the TS in the cubic phase consist of mixed Au and Zn atoms, whereas the tetragonal phase features three different coloring schemes: inner Zn and outer Au tetrahedra, vice versa, or mixed Au and Zn sites on both inner and outer tetrahedra. Barium atoms center 24-atom snub cuboctahedra. Ordering of Au and Zn in the tetragonal phase achieves the largest number of heteroatomic Au-Zn contacts and yields relatively larger Hamilton populations (-ICOHPs) compared with homoatomic counterparts according to LMTO-based electronic structure calculations and analysis. Larger overlap populations are also observed for inter- versus intraicosahedral interactions. The densities-of-states data suggest the phase is metallic with highly dispersed Au d bands and nearly free-electron-like s and p bands for both Au and Zn.

Two homologous intermetallic phases in the Na-Au-Zn system with sodium bound in unusual paired sites within 1D tunnels.

The Na-Au-Zn system contains the two intermetallic phases Na(0.97(4))Au(2)Zn(4) (I) and Na(0.72(4))Au(2)Zn(2) (II) that are commensurately and incommensurately modulated derivatives of K(0.37)Cd(2), respectively. Compound I crystallizes in tetragonal space group P4/mbm (No. 127), a = 7.986(1) Å, c = 7.971(1) Å, Z = 4, as a 1 × 1 × 3 superstructure derivative of K(0.37)Cd(2) (I4/mcm). Compound II is a weakly incommensurate derivative of K(0.37)Cd(2) with a modulation vector q = 0.189(1) along c. Its structure was solved in superspace group P4/mbm(00g)00ss, a = 7.8799(6) Å, c = 2.7326(4) Å, Z = 2, as well as its average structure in P4/mbm with the same lattice parameters.. The Au-Zn networks in both consist of layers of gold or zinc squares that are condensed antiprismatically along c ([Au(4/2)Zn(4)Zn(4)Au(4/2)] for I and [Au(4/2)Zn(4)Au(4/2)] for II) to define fairly uniform tunnels. The long-range cation dispositions in the tunnels are all clearly and rationally defined by electron density (Fourier) mapping. These show only close, somewhat diffuse, pairs of opposed, ≤50% occupied Na sites that are centered on (I) (shown) or between (II) the gold squares. Tight-binding electronic structure calculations via linear muffin-tin-orbital (LMTO) methods, assuming random occupancy of ≤ ∼100% of nonpaired Na sites, again show that the major Hamilton bonding populations in both compounds arise from the polar heteroatomic Au-Zn interactions. Clear Na-Au (and lesser Na-Zn) bonding is also evident in the COHP functions. These two compounds are the only stable ternary phases in the (Cs,Rb,K,Na)-Au-Zn systems, emphasizing the special bonding and packing requirements in these sodium structures.

Four polyanionic compounds in the K­Au­Ga system: a case study in exploratory synthesis and of the art of structural analysis.

The K-Au-Ga system has been investigated at 350 °C for <50 at. % K. The potassium gold gallides K(0.55)Au(2)Ga(2), KAu(3)Ga(2), KAu(2)Ga(4) and the solid solution KAu(x)Ga(3-x) (x = 0-0.33) were synthesized directly from the elements via typical high-temperature reactions, and their crystal structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction: K(0.55)Au(2)Ga(2) (I, I4/mcm, a = 8.860(3) Å, c = 4.834(2) Å, Z = 4), KAu(3)Ga(2) (II, Cmcm, a = 11.078(2) Å, b = 8.486(2) Å, c = 5.569(1) Å, Z = 4), KAu(2)Ga(4) (III, Immm, a = 4.4070(9) Å, b = 7.339(1) Å, c = 8.664(2) Å, Z = 2), KAu(0.33)Ga(2.67) (IV, I-4m2, a = 6.0900(9) Å, c = 15.450(3) Å, Z = 6). The first two compounds contain different kinds of tunnels built of puckered six- (II) or eight-membered (I) ordered Au/Ga rings with completely different cation placements: uniaxial in I and III but in novel 2D-zigzag chains in II. III contains only infinite chains of a potassium-centered 20-vertex polyhedron (K@Au(8)Ga(12)) built of ordered 6-8-6 planar Au/Ga rings. The main structural feature of IV is dodecahedral (Au/Ga)(8) clusters. Tight-binding electronic structure calculations by linear muffin-tin-orbital methods were performed for idealized models of I, II, and III to gain insights into their structure-bonding relationships. Density of states curves reveal metallic character for all compounds, and the overall crystal orbital Hamilton populations are dominated by polar covalent Au-Ga bonds. The relativistic effects of gold lead to formation of bonds of greater population with most post-transition elements or to itself, and these appear to be responsible for a variety of compounds, as in the K-Au-Ga system.

Three alkali-metal-gold-gallium systems. Ternary tunnel structures and some problems with poorly ordered cations.

Six new intermetallic compounds have been characterized in the alkali metal (A = Na, Rb, Cs)-gold-gallium systems. Three isostructural compounds with the general composition A(0.55)Au(2)Ga(2), two others of AAu(3)Ga(2) (A = Rb, Cs), and the related Na(13)Au(41.2)Ga(30.3) were synthesized via typical high-temperature reactions and their crystal structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis: Na(0.56(9))Au(2)Ga(2) (I, I4/mcm, a = 8.718(1) Å, c = 4.857(1) Å, Z = 4), Rb(0.56(1))Au(2)Ga(2) (II, I4/mcm, a = 8.950(1) Å, c = 4.829(1) Å, Z = 4), Cs(0.54(2))Au(2)Ga(2) (III, I4/mcm, a = 9.077(1) Å, c = 4.815(1) Å, Z = 4), RbAu(3)Ga(2) (IV, Pnma, a = 13.384(3) Å, b = 5.577(1) Å, c = 7.017(1) Å, Z = 4), CsAu(3)Ga(2) (V, Pnma, a = 13.511(3) Å, b = 5.614(2) Å, c = 7.146(1) Å, Z = 4), Na(13)Au(41.2(1))Ga(30.3(1)) (VI, P6 mmm, a = 19.550(3) Å, c = 8.990(2) Å, Z = 2). The first three compounds (I-III) are isostructural with tetragonal K(0.55)Au(2)Ga(2) and likewise contain planar eight-member Au/Ga rings that stack along c to generate tunnels and that contain varying degrees of disordered Na-Cs cations. The cation dispositions are much more clearly and reasonably defined by electron density mapping than through least-squares refinements with conventional anisotropic ellipsoids. Orthorhombic AAu(3)Ga(2) (IV, V) are ordered ternary Rb and Cs derivatives of the SrZn(5) type structure, demonstrating structural variability within the AAu(3)Ga(2) family. All attempts to prepare an isotypic "NaAu(3)Ga(2)" were not successful, but yielded only a similar composition Na(13)Au(41.2)Ga(30.3) (NaAu(3.17)Ga(2.33)) (VI) in a very different structure with two types of cation sites. Crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) analysis obtained from tight-binding electronic structure calculations for idealized I-IV via linear muffin-tin-orbital (LMTO) methods emphasized the major contributions of heteroatomic Au-Ga bonding to the structural stability of these compounds. The relative minima (pseudogaps) in the DOS curves for IV correspond well with the valence electron counts of known representatives of this structure type and, thereby, reveal some magic numbers to guide the search for new isotypic compounds. Theoretical calculation of total energies vs volumes obtained by VASP (Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package) calculations for KAu(3)Ga(2) and RbAu(3)Ga(2) suggest a possible transformation from SrZn(5)- to BaZn(5)-types at high pressure.

Conventional and stuffed Bergman-type phases in the Na-Au-T (T = Ga, Ge, Sn) systems: syntheses, structures, coloring of cluster centers, and Fermi sphere-brillouin zone interactions.

Bergman-type phases in the Na-Au-T (T = Ga, Ge, and Sn) systems were synthesized by solid-state means and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Two structurally related (1/1) Bergman phases were found in the Na-Au-Ga system: (a) a conventional Bergman-type (CB) structure, Na(26)Au(x)Ga(54-x), which features empty innermost icosahedra, as refined with x = 18.1 (3), Im3, a = 14.512(2) Å, and Z = 2; (b) a stuffed Bergman-type (SB) structure, Na(26)Au(y)Ga(55-y), which contains Ga-centered innermost icosahedra, as refined with y = 36.0 (1), Im3, a = 14.597(2) Å, and Z = 2. Although these two subtypes have considerable phase widths along with respective tie lines at Na ≈ 32.5 and 32.1 atom %, they do not merge into a continuous solid solution. Rather, a quasicrystalline phase close to the Au-poor CB phase and an orthorhombic derivative near the Au-rich SB phase lie between them. In contrast, only Au-rich SB phases exist in the Ge and Sn systems, in which the innermost icosahedra are centered by Au rather than Ge or Sn. These were refined for Na(26)Au(40.93(5))Ge(14.07(5)) (Im3, a = 14.581(2) Å, and Z = 2) and Na(26)Au(39.83(6))Sn(15.17(6)) (Im3, a = 15.009(2) Å, and Z = 2), respectively. Occupations of the centers of Bergman clusters are rare. Such centering and coloring correlate with the sizes of the neighboring icosahedra, the size ratios between electropositive and electronegative components, and the values of the average valence electron count per atom (e/a). Theoretical calculations revealed that all of these phases are Hume-Rothery phases, with evident pseudogaps in the density of states curves that arise from the interactions between Fermi surface and Brillouin zone boundaries corresponding to a strong diffraction intensity.

Synthesis, structure, and bonding of orthorhombic R5Au2Te2 (R = Lu, Ho, Dy, Y). Electronic structure of the binary parent valence compound Eu5As4.

Four examples of R(5)Au(2)Te(2) (vec = 29 e(-); R = Lu, Ho, Dy, Y) have been synthesized by high-temperature solid-state techniques, isotypic examples of Tm(5)Sb(2)Si(2) (vec = 33 e(-)) and binary Eu(5)As(4) (vec = 30 e(-)). The crystal structure was established for Lu(5)Au(2)Te(2), (orthorhombic Cmce (No. 64), a = 15.056(2), b = 7.749(1), c = 7.754(1) Å, and Z = 4), in which pairs of tellurium layers alternate with two-dimensional (2D) Lu(5)Au(2) slabs that are aggregated in such a way that each Au(2)-centered bi-trigonal prism (BTP) of Lu interconnects four other identical units, with the remaining cavities filled by nominal body-centered Lu cubes. The metal-metal aggregation in this structure provides a novel building unit in ternary rare-earth-metal-rich tellurides. Linear-muffin-tin-orbital (LMTO) electronic structure calculations and COHP analyses reveal that Lu(5)Au(2)Te(2) is a poor metal with Au(2) dimers and strong polar Lu-Au and Lu-Te interactions. The first theoretical analysis of the binary parent structure Eu(5)As(4) (vec = 30 e(-)) provides a simpler description of the equivalent orbital interactions and a closed shell gap in terms of the idealized (Eu(2+))(5)(As(2)(4-))(As(3-))(2) representation, particularly for the explicit filled As(2) levels σ(s), σ(s)*, σ(p), π, π*, plus empty σ(p)*. Crystal Orbital Hamilton Population (-COHP) data illuminate the prominent roles that polar bonding of Eu-As or Lu-Te and Lu-Au and relativistic effects with gold play in these, the former corresponding to 83% and 86% of the total Hamilton population for Eu(5)As(4) and Lu(5)Au(2)Te(2), respectively.

Exploratory syntheses and structures of SrAu(4.3)In(1.7) and CaAg(3.5)In(1.9): electron-poor intermetallics with diversified polyanionic frameworks that are derived from the CaAu4In2 approximant.

The phase regions around quasicrystals and approximants (QC/ACs) are rich pools for electron-poor intermetallics with novel, complex structures, and bonding patterns. The present SrAu(4.30(1))In(1.70(1)) (1) and CaAg(3.54(1))In(1.88(1)) (2) were synthesized through chemical tunings of the model CaAu(4)In(2) (YCd(6)-Type) AC. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveals that crystal 1 has Pnma (CeCu(6)-type) symmetry, with a = 9.102(1) Å, b = 5.6379(9) Å, and c = 11.515(2) Å. The building block in 1 is a 19-vertex cluster Sr@Au(9)In(4)M(6) (M = Au/In), which vividly mimics Ca@(Au,In)(18) in Ca(3)Au(12.4)In(6.1) (YCd(6)-type) in geometry. These clusters aggregate into one-dimensional columns extending along the b axis. Crystal 2 (P6/mmm, a = 20.660(3) Å, c = 9.410(2) Å) is closely related to Na(26)Cd(141) (hP167) and Y(13)Pd(40)Sn(31) (hP168), which are differentiated by the selective occupation of Wyckoff 1a (0 0 0) or 2d (1/3 2/3 1/2) sites by Cd or Pd. Crystal 2 adopts the Na(26)Cd(141) structure, but the 1a site is split into two partially occupied sites. The synergistic disorder in the hexagonal tunnels along c is a major property. The valence electron count per atom (e/a) values for 1 and 2 are 1.63 and 1.74, respectively, the lowest among any other ternary phases in each system. These values are close to those of ACs in the Ca-Au-M (M = Ga, In) systems. Electronic structures for both are discussed in terms of the results of TB-LMTO-ASA calculations.

Ca14Au46Sn5: a "colored" Gd14Ag51-type structure containing columns of well-differentiated hexagonal gold stars.

A novel hexagonal phase discovered near the Ca(15)Au(60)Sn(25) quasicrystal and its cubic approximants (ACs) was synthesized by means of high-temperature solid-state reactions. Single-crystal structural analyses show that this is a Gd(14)Ag(51) isotype with composition within the range Ca(14)Au(45.56(4)-46.67(4))Sn(5.14(3)-4.14(3)), space group P6/m (No. 175), and lattice parameters a = 12.763(3)-12.879(3) Å and c = 9.326(3)-9.3815(4) Å. In this phase, Sn mixes with Au in two of seven anionic sites to give a strong coloring that generates a narrow honeycomb-like Au/Sn template, in which sizable columns of hexagonal Au stars are confined. This phase transforms into the cubic 2/1 AC phase through a peritectic reaction at ∼678 °C. The valence electron count per atom (e/a) of the present phase is in the range 1.41-1.45. However, it does not appear to follow a Hume-Rothery mechanism.

Synthesis, structure, and bonding of BaTl4. Size effects on encapsulation of cations in electron-poor metal networks.

The synthesis, structure, and bonding of BaTl(4) are described [C2/m, Z = 4, a = 12.408(3), b = 5.351(1), c = 10.383(2) Å, ß = 116.00(3)°]. Pairs of edge-sharing Tl pentagons are condensed to generate a network of pentagonal biprisms along b that encapsulate Ba atoms. Alternating levels of prisms along c afford six more bifunctional Tl atoms about the waists of the biprisms, giving Ba a coordination number of 16. Each Tl atom is bonded to five to seven other Tl atoms and to three to five Ba atoms. There is also strong evidence that Hg substitutes preferentially in the shared edges of the Tl biprisms in BaHg(0.80)Tl(3.20) to generate more strongly bound Hg(2) dimers. Cations that are too small relative to the dimensions of the surrounding polyanionic network make this BaTl(4) structure (and for SrIn(4) and perhaps EuIn(4) as well) one stable alternative to tetragonal BaAl(4)-type structures in which cations are bound in larger hexagon-faced nets, as for BaIn(4) and SrGa(4). Characteristic condensation and augmentation of cation-centered prismatic units is common among many relatively cation- and electron-poor, polar derivatives of Zintl phases gain stability. At the other extreme, the large family of Frank-Kasper phases in which the elements exhibit larger numbers of bonded neighbors are sometimes referred to as orbitally rich.

Relativistic effects and gold site distributions: synthesis, structure, and bonding in a polar intermetallic Na6Cd16Au7.

Na(6)Cd(16)Au(7) has been synthesized via typical high-temperature reactions, and its structure refined by single crystal X-ray diffraction as cubic, Fm ̅3m, a = 13.589(1) Å, Z = 4. The structure consists of Cd(8) tetrahedral star (TS) building blocks that are face capped by six shared gold (Au2) vertexes and further diagonally bridged via Au1 to generate an orthogonal, three-dimensional framework [Cd(8)(Au2)(6/2)(Au1)(4/8)], an ordered ternary derivative of Mn(6)Th(23). Linear muffin-tin-orbital (LMTO)-atomic sphere approximation (ASA) electronic structure calculations indicate that Na(6)Cd(16)Au(7) is metallic and that ∼76% of the total crystal orbital Hamilton populations (-ICOHP) originate from polar Cd-Au bonding with 18% more from fewer Cd-Cd contacts. Na(6)Cd(16)Au(7) (45 valence electron count (vec)) is isotypic with the older electron-richer Mg(6)Cu(16)Si(7) (56 vec) in which the atom types are switched and bonding characteristics among the network elements are altered considerably (Si for Au, Cu for Cd, Mg for Na). The earlier and more electronegative element Au now occupies the Si site, in accord with the larger relativistic bonding contributions from polar Cd-Au versus Cu-Si bonds with the neighboring Cd in the former Cu positions. Substantial electronic differences in partial densities-of-states (PDOS) and COHP data for all atoms emphasize these. Strong contributions of nearby Au 5d(10) to bonding states without altering the formal vec are the likely origin of these effects.