SYNTHESIS AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF A NEW OXYNITRIDE, BA3ZNN2O

A new oxynitride, Ba3ZnN2O, was prepared as single crystals by slow co oling from 750 degrees C using a starting mixture of Ba, ZnO, NaN3 and Na. The NaN3 and Na were respectively the nitrogen source and flux fo r the crystal growth. The structure was determined by single crystal X -ray diffraction and is tetragonal, space group P4/mmm with Z = 1, a = 4.088(1), c = 9.272(2) Angstrom, and R1 = 0.0288. The structure is co mposed of {Ba2ZnN2} units and {BaO} layers. The zinc atom is linearly coordinated by two nitrogen atoms to form a nitridometallate anion, [N =Zn=N](4-), as in Ba2ZnN2.