SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF TERNARY MOLYBDENUM OXIDES LIMO8O10 OR ZNMO8O10 MO8O10 HAVING ORTHOGONAL NONINTERSECTING OCTAHEDRAL CLUSTER CHAINS

The new compounds LiMo//8O//1//0 (I) and ZnMo//8O//1//0 (II) have been prepared via reactions in sealed Mo-tubes at 1370-1450 degree C between Li//2MoO//4, MoO//3, and Mo (3:16:29 mole ratio), and ZnO, MoO//3, and Mo (1:3:5 mole ratio), respectively. The isomorphous compounds are tetragonal, space group I 4//1md, Z equals 4, with lattice constants a equals 5. 8515(6) A, c equals 24. 783(3) A for I, and a equals 5. 8961(4) A, c equals 24. 840(3) A for II, as determined from Guinier X-ray powder patterns. Single crystal structure determination shows that these compounds are constructed from infinite chains consisting of edge-shared octahedral cluster units.