STRUCTURE OF THE TRIVALENT MOLYBDENUM METAPHOSPHATE MO(PO3)3

Crystals of the molybdenum(III) metaphosphate Mo(PO3)3 were grown by c hemical vapor transport with iodine (1173 K --> 1073 K). The structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Mo(PO3)3 crystall izes in the monoclinic space group Ia, with a = 10.819(1) angstrom, b = 19.515(3) angstrom, c = 9.609(1) angstrom, beta = 97.74(1)degrees, a nd Z = 12. Mo(PO3)3, and has a structure consisting of infinite chains of corner-sharing PO4 tetrahedra running along [001], bridged by isol ated MoO6 octahedra. The octahedra are regular, with an average Mo-O d istance of 2.084 angstrom. The structure can also be viewed as contain ing infinite MoP3O14 chains along [102], which are linked so as to def ine small tunnels running in the same direction. (C) 1994 Academic Pre ss, Inc.