Stabilization by Hydrogen. Synthetic and Structural Studies of the Zintl Phase Ba(5)Ga(6)H(2).

Synthesis of the phase formerly reported as Ba(5)Ga(6) succeeds only in the presence of hydrogen. The heavy atom structure of Ba(5)Ga(6)H(2) has been redetermined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (trigonal P3c1, Z = 2, a = 7.7698(2) Å, c = 14.3902(7) Å), and the hydrogen positions have been elucidated by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction. The unit cell contains isolated slightly distorted octahedra Ga(6)(8)(-) with barium cations over all edges. Hydride is bound in two types of barium tetrahedra [d(Ba-H) = 2.61-2.62 Å]. The stoichiometry is appropriate for a Zintl phase: (Ba(2+))(5)Ga(6)(8)(-)(H(-))(2).