Synthesis, structure, and bonding in K12Au21Sn4. A polar intermetallic compound with dense Au20 and open AuSn4 layers
The new phase K{sub 12}Au{sub 21}Sn{sub 4} has been synthesized by direct reaction of the elements at elevated temperatures. Single crystal X-ray diffraction established its orthorhombic structure, space group Pmmn (No. 59), a = 12.162(2); b = 18.058(4); c = 8.657(2) {angstrom}, V = 1901.3(7) {angstrom}{sup 3}, and Z = 2. The structure consists of infinite puckered sheets of vertex-sharing gold tetrahedra (Au{sub 20}) that are tied together by thin layers of alternating four-bonded-Sn and -Au atoms (AuSn{sub 4}). Remarkably, the dense but electron-poorer blocks of Au tetrahedra coexist with more open and saturated Au-Sn layers, which are fragments of a zinc blende type structure that maximize tetrahedral heteroatomic bonding outside of the network of gold tetrahedra. LMTO band structure calculations reveal metallic properties and a pseudogap at 256 valence electrons per formula unit, only three electrons fewer than in the title compound and at a point at which strong Au-Sn bonding is optimized. Additionally, the tight coordination of the Au framework atoms by K plays an important bonding role: each Au tetrahedra has 10 K neighbors and each K atom has 8-12 Au contacts. The appreciably different role of the p element Sn in this structure from that in the triel members in K{sub 3}Au{sub 5}In and Rb{sub 2}Au{sub 3}Tl appears to arise from its higher electron count which leads to better p-bonding (valence electron concentrations = 1.32 versus 1.22).
- Research Organization:
- Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-07CH11358
- OSTI ID:
- 969045
- Report Number(s):
- IS-J 7534; TRN: US1000094
- Journal Information:
- Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 48, Issue 23
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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