The introduction of structure types into the inorganic crystal structure database ICSD

Both the approach used and the progress made in the assignment of structure types to the crystal structures contained in the ICSD database are reported. Extending earlier work, an hierarchical set of criteria for the separation of isopointal structures into isoconfigurational structure types is used. It is shown how these criteria, which include the space group (number), Wyckoff sequence and Pearson symbol, c/a ratio, beta ranges, ANX formulae and, in certain cases, the necessary elements and forbidden elements, may be used to uniquely identify the representative structure types of the compounds contained in the ICSD database.