Crystal structure of Na2Mg2NiH6 revisited.

The crystal structure of Na(2)Mg(2)NiH(6) as published by Kadir and Noreus (Inorg. Chem. 2007, 46, 2220-2223) is revised. While the reported space group symmetry and cell parameters are correct, the Mg and hydride positions need to be interchanged. Consequently, the tetrahedral [NiH(4)](4-) complexes are stabilized by both Na(+) and Mg(2+) ions and not by Na(+) ions only, as was stated by the authors. The metal-hydrogen bond distances of the revised structure model differ by up to 0.6 A from those reported and are more in line with those usually observed in these sorts of hydrides. An overview of the known cation configurations around solid-state [NiH(4)](4-) complexes is given.

Hydrogen absorption in transition metal silicides: La3Pd5Si-hydrogen system.

Pressure-composition isotherm measurements show that the ternary lanthanum palladium silicide phase La3Pd5Si absorbs reversibly up to 5 hydrogen atoms per formula unit at 550 K and 14 bar hydrogen pressure. In-situ synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction reveals three phases, an alpha-phase having the limiting composition La3Pd5SiD approximately 1.6 at low deuterium pressure (at up to 9.5 bar D2 and 550 K), a beta-phase La3Pd5SiD approximately 2.30-4 at intermediate deuterium pressure (<9.5 bar D2 and 550 K), and a relatively unstable gamma-phase La3Pd5SiD approximately 5 at high deuterium pressure (obtained at 75 bar D2 and 293 K). While the alpha and beta phases retain the symmetry of the H-free La3Pd5Si (space group Imma), the gamma-phase undergoes a symmetry lowering (a(gamma) approximately a(beta), b(gamma) approximately 3b(beta) and c(gamma) approximately c(beta), V(gamma) approximately 3V(beta), space group Pmnb). The structure of the alpha-phase contains isolated [Pd-D-Pd] fragments, which are joined into polymeric (-Pd-D-Pd-)n zig-zag chains in the beta-phase. In the gamma-phase some D sites depopulate, while new D sites are occupied, thus leading to a partial interruption of the zig-zag chains and the formation of isolated [D-Pd-D-Pd] and [D-Pd-D-Pd-D] fragments. This unexpected behavior can be attributed to the onset of repulsive Si-D and D-D interactions (Si-D > 3.0 A, D-D > 2.1 A) that divide the structure into Si-poor slabs that absorb hydrogen and Si-rich slabs that do not. The competition between silicon and deuterium which act as a transition metal ligand is further underlined by the fact that Pd atoms having one Si ligand are capable of forming Pd-D bonds, whereas Pd atoms having two Si ligands are not.

Tetrahedral D atom coordination of nickel and evidence for anti-isostructural phase transition in orthorhombic Ce2Ni7D approximately 4.

Hydrogenation of hexagonal Ce2Ni7 was investigated by synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. In contrast to the recently investigated lanthanum analogue, which remains hexagonal (La2Ni7D6.5: space group P63/mmc), the cerium compound becomes orthorhombic (Ce2Ni7D approximately 4: space group Pmcn). As in the structurally related CeNi3D2.8, deuterium occupies CeNi2 slabs only, while the bulk of the CeNi5 slabs remains empty. A significant amount of deuterium is bonded in tetrahedral NiD4 units similar to those in nickel-based complex metal hydrides. These findings provide further evidence for directional bonding effects in hydrides that are traditionally considered as "interstitial". Ce2Ni7D approximately 4 displays various orthorhombic lattice distortions, delta = (b/ radical3 - a)/a. Hydrogen pressures of approximately 30 bar stabilize a phase having a negative distortion (delta < 0). Upon a decrease in the pressure, this phase transforms via a two-phase region into another phase having a positive distortion (delta > 0). Both phases are nearly isostructural and have the same space group symmetry and nearly the same composition. This situation is typical for a so-called anti-isostructural phase transition in which delta is considered to be an order parameter. Neither magnetic nor structural transitions have been detected down to 1.5 K.

Neutron powder diffraction with (nat)Sm: crystal structures and magnetism of a binary samarium deuteride and a ternary samarium magnesium deuteride.

Binary SmH(3) (trigonal, a=656.7(3), c=680.1(3) pm, P$\bar 3$c1, Z=6), ternary SmMg2H7 (tetragonal, a=626.47(6), c=937.2(2) pm, P4(1)2(1)2, Z=4) and the corresponding deuterides SmD3 (a=653.9(1)m, c=676.7(2) pm) and SmMg2D7 (a=624.10(1), c=934.81(2) pm) have been prepared by hydrogenation (deuteration) of elemental samarium and the Laves phase SmMg2, respectively, and investigated by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction and SQUID and vibration magnetometry. The problem of the enormous neutron absorption of the natural isotopic mixture (natSm) is circumvented by carefully choosing the neutron wavelength (approximately 50 pm) and the use of double-walled cylindrical sample holders and a high-intensity neutron diffractometer (D4c at ILL). SmD3 crystallises with a tysonite-type structure and has three independently ordered deuterium atom sites with trigonal-planar, trigonal-pyramidal and tetrahedral metal environments and Sm--D bond lengths in the range 220(1)-258(1) pm (average: 235 pm). SmMg2D7 is a new deuteride that crystallises with an LaMg2D7-type structure. It displays four fully occupied deuterium sites having triangular and tetrahedral metal environments and Sm--D bond lengths in the range 227.6(5)-246.8(8) pm (average: 239 pm). These are the first samarium-deuterium bond lengths to be reported. Both deuterides are paramagnetic down to 2 K (SmD3: mueff=0.63(1) muB, thetap approximately -4 K; SmMg2D7: mueff=0.57(2) muB, thetap approximately -4 K). Their crystal structures and chemical and physical properties suggest mainly ionic bonding according to the limiting ionic formulae Sm3+(H-)3 and Sm3+(Mg2+)2(H-)7.

Spectroscopic and ab initio characterization of the [ReH9]2- ion.

The dynamics and bonding of the hydrido complex Ba[ReH9], containing the D3h face-capped trigonal prismatic [ReH9]2- ion, have been investigated by vibrational spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT). The combination of infrared, Raman, and inelastic neutron-scattering (INS) spectroscopies has enabled observation of all the modes of the [ReH9]2- ion for the first time. We demonstrate that calculations of the isolated [ReH9]2- ion are unable to reproduce the INS spectrum and that the complete unit cell must be considered with periodic DFT to have reliable results. This is shown to be a consequence of the long-range Coulomb potential present. Analysis of the electronic structure shows that the bonding between the rhenium and the hydrogen is largely covalent. There is a small degree of covalency between the prism hydrides and the barium. The counterion is crucial to the stability of the materials; hence, variation of it potentially offers a method to fine-tune the properties of the material.

On the composition and crystal structure of the new quaternary hydride phase Li4BN3H10.

X-ray data on single crystals of the quaternary metal hydride near the composition LiB(0.33)N(0.67)H(2.67), previously identified as "Li3BN2H8", reveal that its true composition is Li4BN3H10. The structure has body-centered-cubic symmetry [space group I2(1)3, cell parameter a = 10.679(1)-10.672(1) Angstroms] and contains an ordered arrangement of BH4- and NH2- anions in the molar ratio 1:3. The borohydride anion has an almost ideal tetrahedral geometry (angleH-B-H approximately 108-114 degrees), while the amide anion has a nearly tetrahedral bond angle (angleH-N-H approximately 106 degrees). Three symmetry-independent Li atom sites are surrounded by BH4- and NH2- anions in various distorted tetrahedral configurations, one by two B and two N atoms, another by four N atoms, and the third by one B and three N atoms. The Li configuration around B is nearly tetrahedral, while that around N resembles a distorted saddlelike configuration, similar to those in LiBH4 and LiNH2, respectively.

Deuterium-induced copper pairing in Zr2CuD(approximately 5).

Deuteration of Zr2Cu leads to a reconstruction of its MoSi2-type metal atom arrangement. While the tetragonal alloy contains isolated copper atoms (Cu-Cu = 3.22 angstroms) in a cubic zirconium atom environment, the monoclinic deuteride Zr2CuD4.71 contains Cu2 dumbbells (Cu-Cu = 2.39 angstroms), of which each copper atom has a trigonal-prismatic zirconium atom environment. Deuterium occupies five sites, of which four have tetrahedral metal configurations (two Zr4-type and two Zr3Cu-type) and are fully occupied while one has a trigonal-bipyramidal metal configuration (Zr3Cu2-type) and is partially occupied (71%). Copper is bonded to four deuterium atoms in a saddle-like configuration (Cu-D = 1.73-1.87 angstroms). Two of the ligands connect copper in a nearly linear Cu-D-Cu arrangement to partially interrupted dimeric [Cu2D6](n)() ribbons running perpendicular to the Cu2 dumbbell direction. At the upper phase limit, the ribbons are presumably no longer interrupted and the deuteride can be described by the limiting ionic formula 2Zr2+[Cu(+)D3](2-)2D-.

Boron-induced hydrogen localization in the novel metal hydride LaNi(3)BH(x) (x = 2.5-3.0).

The crystal structure and hydrogenation properties of the intermetallic boride LaNi(3)B were investigated. The hydrogen-free compound has a novel structure with orthorhombic symmetry, space group Imma, a = 4.9698(8) A, b = 7.1337(8) A, c = 8.3001(9) A, and V = 294.26(7) A(3). Thermal gravimetrical analysis reveals a hydride phase that forms near ambient conditions within the compositional range LaNi(3)BH(2.5)(-)(3.0). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction on both the alloy and the hydride, using the same crystal, shows an expansion in the a-c plane (by up to approximately 8%) and a contraction along b (by approximately 3%), while the symmetry changes from Imma to Bmmb (Cmcm) and the unit cell doubles along a and b. The cell parameters for the composition of LaNi(3)BD(2.73(4)) are a = 10.7709(7) A, b = 16.0852(10) A, c = 7.6365(5) A, V = 1323.03(15) A(3), and space group Cmcm. Four nearly fully occupied interstitial hydrogen sites were located by neutron powder diffraction on deuterides and found to have tetrahedral, La(2)Ni(2) (D1,D2), trigonal-prismatic, La(3)Ni(3) (D3), and trigonal-bipyramidal, La(2)Ni(3) (D4), metal environments. The structure can also be described in terms of alternating quasi two-dimensional [NiD](-) slabs (Ni-D = 1.62-1.97 A) and La-B sheets for which bond-valence sums suggest the limiting formula La(3+)B(0)[Ni(3)D(3)](3)(-). The La-B planes do not accommodate deuterium; the B-D and D-D interactions appear to be repulsive. The shortest B-D and D-D contacts are 2.52(2) and 2.33(2) A, respectively.

Chemical heterogeneity of a crystal built of nanoscale coherently twinned Yb(2-x)(Fe,Ga)(17+2x) polytypes.

An X-ray study of single crystals extracted from an arc-melted Yb-Fe-Ga alloy showed that the diffraction pattern can be modeled by an intergrown crystal that has three sorts of domains: one hexagonal (1, LuFe(9.5) type) and two rhombohedral (2 a and 2 b, PrFe(7) type), the last two twinned by reticular merohedry. Crystals 1 and 2 are essentially polytypes with maximum degree of order (MDO polytypes), built up of nearly identical slabs that are stacked along [001] in ABAB em leader (1). and ABCABC em leader (2). sequences. Structure refinement was performed by a newly developed program that allowed us to refine several structures on a single data set. We found that the hexagonal and rhombohedral domains differ in chemical composition: while 1 shows a higher rate of Yb substitution by Fe(2) dumbbells, 2 shows partial substitution of Fe by Ga. Our observation of the nanoscale phase segregation is supported by latest finding of nonrandom distribution of stacking faults in a similar 2:17 alloy. An unequal distribution of chemical substitutions in 1 and 2 apparently compensates the inherent mismatch of basal plane dimensions of the individual MDO polytypes and thus constrains their cell parameters within the syntaxy. According to our knowledge this is the first example of two chemically distinct polytypes constituting a single crystal, refined on a single set of diffraction data.

The First Determination of Eu-H Distances by Neutron Diffraction on the Novel Hydrides EuMg2H6 and EuMgH4.

Despite the high neutron absorption of natural europium, the crystal structures of two Eu hydrides could be solved from powder diffraction data. EuMg2D6 crystallizes in a novel AB2X6 structure type (see picture), EuMgD4 is isotypic to BaZnF4. The mean Eu-D distances are 258 and 253 pm, respectively.