A new structure motif in nitridometalate chemistry is the tetracatena-nitridotantalate anion [TaN]. It occurs in the crystal structure of the triple salt Sr[TaN][TaN]O (monoclinic, space group P2/c with a = 15.062(2) Å, b = 7.2484(6) Å, c = 24.266(3) Å, and β = 97.280(10)) together with ortho-tantalate and isolated oxide anions. Synthesis followed a new approach with employment of Sr surplus and reductive conditions aimed at the preparation of subvalent compounds. The new structure type was established on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and also Rietveld refinement. It is a complex superstructure of the rock salt structure type with Ta and Sr atoms forming the face-centered cubic packing and N and O atoms occupying 18/19 of the octahedral voids. We discuss structure and stability of the triple salt with respect to other known nitridometalates and the use of this triple salt for preparative access toward new metal-rich compounds in this field.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.