STRUCTURAL AND SCANNING MICROSCOPY STUDIES OF LAYERED COMPOUNDS MCL(3) (M=MO, RU, CR) AND MOCL(2) (M=V, NB, MO, RU, OS)

Structural investigations on trichlorides (alpha- and beta-MoCl3, soli d solutions Ru1-xCrxCl3) and oxide dichlorides MOCl(2) (M = V, Nb, Mo, Ru, Os) show that layer structures with stacking faults can be solved without evaluation of the diffuse parts of scattering. The combinatio n of X-ray methods and atomic scale STM/AFM imaging yields information about the pattern of the surface atoms and the metal sublattice betwe en the halide layers. Metal-metal bonds, structural distortions of coo rdination polyhedra and cation distribution in solid solutions have be en determined. The correct layer symmetry, obtained by STM/AFM methods , was used in the X-ray structure analysis by single crystal. and powd er diffraction. Disorder problems due to stacking faults of the layers could be treated in that way.