Structural analyses of (1 - x)ZnBr2-xKBr melts were made by time-of-flight
pulsed neutron diffraction. The interatomic distance r(ij) of the nearest n
eighbor Zn-Br pair was estimated at about 2.4 Angstrom which was shorter th
an the sum of ionic radii 2.56 Angstrom, indicating the existence of covale
nt bonding. Furthermore, the co-ordination number n(ij) of the correspondin
g pair was calculated to be around 4 and the ratio of r(Br-Br) to r(Zn) (Br
) was about 1.6 which was nearly equal to tetrahedral geometry root8/3, imp
lying the tetrahedral configuration. Addition of KBr to ZnBr2 made the link
age of ZnBr42- tetrahedral clustering units break into pieces. (C) 2001 Els
evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.