title: Synthesis and structure of Ta4SI11: disorder and mixed valency in the first tantalum sulfide iodide.
abstract: The new compound Ta(4)SI(11) has been prepared by direct reaction of the elements at 430 degrees C for 2 weeks in evacuated Pyrex ampules and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and semiempirical electronic structure calculations. Ta(4)SI(11) crystallizes with orthorhombic symmetry in space group Pmmn; a = 16.135(3) A, b = 3.813(1) A, c = 8.131(2) A, and Z = 1. The disordered structure involves two crystallographically distinct sites for Ta atoms, both of which are 50% occupied as well as a bridging anion site that is 50% S and 50% I. Magnetic susceptibility above 100 K gives micro (eff) = 1.53 micro (B) to suggest one unpaired electron per formula unit. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and extended Hückel calculations suggest that the structure consists of Ta(3) triangles and "isolated" Ta atoms, leading to the formulation (Ta(3))(9+)(Ta(4+))(S(2)(-))(I(-))(11) and we hypothesize that each Ta(3) is capped by a sulfur atom.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Gordon J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Miller