title: Synthesis, crystal structure, bonding, and properties of (Ba6O)(OsN3)2.
abstract: The new barium nitridoosmate oxide (Ba(6)O)(OsN(3))(2) was prepared by reacting elemental barium and osmium (3:1) in nitrogen at 815-830 degrees C. The crystal structure of (Ba(6)O)(OsN(3))(2) as determined by laboratory powder X-ray diffraction (R3, No 148: a = b = 8.112(1) A, c = 17.390(1) A, V = 991.0(1) A(3), Z = 3), consists of sheets of trigonal OsN(3) units and trigonal-antiprismatic Ba(6)O groups, and is structurally related to the "313 nitrides" AE(3)MN(3) (AE = Ca, Sr, Ba, M = V-Co, Ga). Density functional calculations, using a hybrid functional, likewise indicate the existence of oxygen in the Ba(6) polyhedra. The oxidation state 4+ of osmium is confirmed, both by the calculations and by XPS measurements. The bonding properties of the OsN(3)(5-) units are analyzed and compared to the Raman spectrum. The compound is paramagnetic from room temperature down to T = 10 K. Between room temperature and 100 K it obeys the Curie-Weiss law (mu = 1.68 mu(B)). (Ba(6)O)(OsN(3))(2) is semiconducting with a good electronic conductivity at room temperature (8.74x10(-2) ohms(-1) cm(-1)). Below 142 K the temperature dependence of the conductivity resembles that of a variable-range hopping mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstrasse 1, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wedig
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dinnebier
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jansen