HP-CsB5O8 : synthesis and characterization of an outstanding borate exhibiting the simultaneous linkage of all structural units of borates.

The new cesium pentaborate HP-CsB5 O8 is synthesized under high-pressure/high-temperature conditions of 6 GPa and 900 °C in a Walker-type multianvil apparatus. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (Z=4) with the parameters a=789.7(1), b=961.2(1), c=836.3(1) pm, V=0.6348(1) nm(3) , R1 =0.0359 and wR2 =0.0440 (all data). The new structure type of HP-CsB5 O8 exhibits the simultaneous linkage of trigonal BO3 groups, corner-sharing BO4 tetrahedra, and edge-sharing BO4 tetrahedra including the presence of threefold-coordinated oxygen atoms. With respect to the rich structural chemistry of borates, HP-CsB5 O8 is the second structure type possessing this outstanding combination of the main structural units of borates in one compound. The structure consists of corrugated chains of corner- and edge-sharing BO4 tetrahedra interconnected through BO3 groups forming octagonal channels. Inside these channels, cesium is 13+3-fold coordinated by oxygen atoms. (11) B MQMAS NMR spectra are analyzed to estimate the isotropic chemical shift values and quadrupolar parameters. IR and Raman spectra are obtained and compared to the calculated vibrational frequencies at the Γ-point. The high-temperature behavior is examined by means of temperature-programmed powder diffraction.