Na 4Si4, monoclinic, C12/c1 (no. 15), a = 12.1536(5) Å, b = 6.5452(5) Å, c = 11.1323(6) Å, b = 118.9(1)°, V = 775.3 Å 3 , Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.028, wRref(F 2 ) = 0.064, T = 293 K.
Source of materialThe Zintl phase Na 4Si4 was prepared from the elements with an excess of alkali metal (Na, ingot, 99.9 %, ChemPur; Si, pieces, 99.999 %, Alfa) in a closed Ta container which was sealed into an evacuated quartz glass ampoule. The reaction mixture was heated up to 750°C within 1 hour, annealed for 3 hours and afterwards cooled down to ambient temperature within 4 days. Well shaped needle-like crystals were obtained by removing the excess of sodium using vacuum distillation at 230°C and 5 × 10 −6 mbar [1,2]. Due to sensitivity of the compound to air and humidity, the investigated single crystal was sealed into a glass capillary under purified argon.
Experimental detailsLattice parameters were refined from synchrotron powder diffraction data (l = 0.39987 Å), using 58 reflections between 4°# 2q # 14.5°, and applying LaB 6 as internal standard (NIST, a = 4.15692 Å).
DiscussionThe crystal structure of Na 4 Si 4 was first determined by Witte, von Schnering and Klemm from Weißenberg film data on single crystals [1]. Na 4 Si 4 was re-investigated in order to elucidate the chemical bonding by quantum chemical calculations as well as solid state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. For these investigations, high quality crystallographic data are crucial. The present re-determination confirms structural information obtained in Ref.[1] and provides data of the crystal structure with higher accuracy. Two crystallographic non-equivalent sites for both Si and Na are occupied in the crystal structure. The Si atoms form dis-