Reported is the synthesis of a new polar intermetallic phase, Ca4CdIn2Ge4, crystals of which can be readily obtained employing the In‐flux method. The structure and the chemical composition of the new compound are established based on single‐crystal X‐Ray diffraction and energy‐dispersive X‐Ray spectroscopy data. Ca4CdIn2Ge4crystallizes in a monoclinic crystal system with the space groupC2/m(no. 12) with lattice parametersa = 16.7383(12) Å,b = 4.4235(3) Å,c = 7.4322(5) Å, andβ = 106.560(1)°. The structure can formally be classified as a variant of the Mg5Si6structure type (Pearson symbolmS22). Considering the InGe and CdGe interactions as mostly covalent, the polyanionic substructure can be rationalized as consisting of ribbons of edge‐shared [InGe4] tetrahedra connected by Ge2dimers and bridged by Cd atoms in nearly square‐planar environment. Chemical bonding analysis based on TB‐LMTO‐ASA calculations affirms the notion for covalent character of the GeGe bonding with the dimers. The calculations also show that the bonding in the tetrahedra is more covalent in character than the bonding in square‐planar fragments, with the CaGe interactions being the least covalent among all interactions, though not exactly ionic.
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Ca 2 Ga 4 Ge 6 and Ca 3 Ga 4 Ge 6 : Synthesis, Structure, and Electronic Properties
Abstract During the search for transition metal‐free alkyne hydrogenation catalysts, two new ternary Ca−Ga−Ge phases, Ca2Ga4Ge6(Cmc21, a=4.1600(10) Å, b=23.283(5) Å, c=10.789(3) Å) and Ca3Ga4Ge6(C2/m, a=24.063(2) Å, b=4.1987(4) Å, c=10.9794(9) Å, β=91.409(4)°), were discovered. These compounds are isostructural to the previously established Yb2Ga4Ge6and Yb3Ga4Ge6analogues, and according to Zintl‐Klemm counting rules, consist of anionic [Ga4Ge6]4−and [Ga4Ge6]6−frameworks in which every Ga and Ge atom would have a formal octet with no Ga−Ga or Ga−Ge π‐bonding. These compounds are metallic, based on temperature dependent electrical resistivity and thermopower measurements for Ca3Ga4Ge6, along with density functional theory calculations for both phases. Unlike the highly active 13‐layer trigonal CaGaGe phase, these new compounds exhibit minimal activity in the semi/full alkyne hydrogenation of phenylacetylene, which is consistent with previous observations that the lack of a formal octet for framework atoms is essential for catalysis in these Zintl‐Klemm compounds.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2011876
- PAR ID:
- 10582595
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie
- Volume:
- 648
- Issue:
- 15
- ISSN:
- 0044-2313
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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