U3TiSb5, U3VSb5, U3CrSb5, and U3MnSb5 with "Anti"-Hf5Sn3Cu Type Structure

Abstract

The title compounds have been prepared from the elemental components by arc-melting and subsequent annealing. Single crystals of U3TiSb5 and U3MnSb5 were obtained from a tin flux and their structures were determined from single-crystal X-ray data: P63/mcm, Z = 2; a = 913.9(2), c = 611.2(1) pm, R = 0.011 (233 structure factors, 14 variables) for U3TiSb5 and a = 916.8(2), c = 613.2(1) pm, R = 0.015 (427 structure factors, 14 variables) for U3MnSb5. The lattice constants of the isotypic compounds are: a = 908.2(2), c = 608.3(2) pm for U3VSb5 and a = 911.0(1), c = 611.5(1) pm for U3CrSb5. The structure of these antimonides may be regarded as an “anti”-type structure of Hf5Sn3Cu with the antimony atoms on the hafnium sites, while the positions of the uranium and transition metal atoms correspond to the positions of the tin and copper atoms. A comparison of the interatomic distances of U3TiSb5 with those of U3Sb4, USb2, and a-antimony suggests oxidation numbers according to (U+III)3Ti+IV(Sb1-III)3(Sb2-II)2, where the Sb2 atoms form weakly bonded chains