Composition Space Diagrams for Mixed Transition Metal Oxide Fluorides Alexander J. Norquist, Kevin R. Heier, Charlotte L. Stern, and Kenneth R. Poeppelmeier* Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113 ReceiVed June 24, 1998 Composition space diagrams have been used to study phase stability of mixed transition metal oxide fluorides synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of the metal oxides in (HF) x pyridine/H 2 O/pyridine solution (150 °C, autogenous pressure). The combination of early (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo, W) and late (Cu, Cd, Zn) transition metals and the effects of varying the mole ratios of the metals, (HF) x pyridine, and water are examined in this study. Single-crystal products containing [Cu(py) 4 ] 2+ , [Cd(py) 4 ] 2+ , or [Zn(py) 4 ] 2+ cations and [TiF 6 ] 2- , [ZrF 6 ] 2- , [HfF 6 ] 2- , [NbOF 5 ] 2- , [TaOF 5 ] 2- , [MoO 2 F 4 ] 2- , or [WO 2 F 4 ] 2- anions are recovered. Relative stability of the crystalline products is governed by the negative charge distribution on the anions, as well as the concentrations of each reactant in solution. Two new structures are reported: Cu(NC 5 H 5 ) 4 TaOF 5 and Cu(NC 5 H 5 ) 4 TiF 6 3H 2 O. Crystal data: for Cu(NC 5 H 5 ) 4 TaOF 5 , monoclinic, space group C2/c (No. 15), with a ) 10.541(3) Å, b ) 13.547(6) Å, c ) 16.04(1) Å, ) 97.73(5)°, and Z ) 4; for Cu(NC 5 H 5 ) 4 TiF 6 3H 2 O, monoclinic, space group C2/c (No. 15), with a ) 12.767(4) Å, b ) 12.048(2) Å, c ) 17.787(6) Å, ) 109.9(1)°, and Z ) 4. Introduction Hydrothermal reactions provide a convenient and efficient method to study the crystallization fields of mixed transition metal oxide flourides. Hydrogen fluoride is used to dissolve metal oxides under hydrothermal conditions (150 °C, autogenous pressure) in pyridinium poly(hydrogen fluoride)/H 2 O/pyridine solutions. Slowly cooling these solutions results in single crystals of new mixed metal oxide fluoride compounds. In each system an early (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo, W) and a late (Cu, Cd, Zn) transition metal are used. The early transition metals are “hard” acids and coordinate the “hard” bases in solution (F - and O 2- ), while the late transition metals are “soft” acids and coordinate the “soft” bases in solution (pyridine (py)). The “soft” metals form [Cu(py) 4 ] 2+ , [Cd(py) 4 ] 2+ , and [Zn(py) 4 ] 2+ cations, while the “hard” metals form [TiF 6 ] 2- , [ZrF 6 ] 2- , [HfF 6 ] 2- , [NbOF 5 ] 2- , [TaOF 5 ] 2- , [MoO 2 F 4 ] 2- , and [WO 2 F 4 ] 2- anions. Other important species, such as hydronium (H 3 O + ) and pyridinium (pyH + ) cations and F - anions, are also present in solution. Which species combine to form the crystalline products depends on the negative charge distribution on the anions, the fluoride affinity of the cations, and the mole fraction in solution of each reaction component (Figure 1). To report the variables involved in these hydrothermal reactions, “composition space” diagrams have been developed. Composition space diagrams are similar to ternary phase diagrams in that the products are directly related to initial reactant mole fractions. The concentration of the three reactants, namely, metal oxides, (HF) x pyridine, and H 2 O, are recorded in each composition space diagram. Approximately 20 reactions are run at varying mole fractions of each of these reactants, while other variables such as temperature and amount of solvent are held constant. 1 The crystalline products of the reactions are analyzed and the results plotted on the diagram to determine “crystallization fields”, that is, areas of selective crystallization, for each product. Composition space diagrams are not phase diagrams as only the crystalline products are analyzed, while products which are amorphous or remain in solution are neglected. In addition, the boundaries separating the crystal- lization fields are not sharp. In the area adjacent to a boundary, a mixture of crystalline products is often observed. Nevertheless, the composition space diagram is a useful tool to help plan reactions and rationalize the results in hydrothermal systems. Composition space diagrams have been reported previously for the (MO x , 1 / 2 Nb 2 O 5 )/(HF) x pyridine/H 2 O (MO x ) CuO, 1 CdO 2 ) systems. Composition space diagrams for the (CuO, MO x )/(HF) x pyridine/H 2 O (MO x ) TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , HfO 2 , 1 / 2 Ta 2 O 5 , MoO 3 , WO 3 ) and (ZnO, 1 / 2 Nb 2 O 5 )/(HF) x pyridine/H 2 O systems are reported here. Composition space diagrams for the (CuO, xWO 3 )/(HF) x pyridine/H 2 O(x ) 0.5, 1, 2) series are also reported. The structures for two new mixed metal oxide fluoride compounds, Cu(py) 4 TaOF 5 and Cu(py) 4 TiF 6 3H 2 O (py ) pyr- idine), are reported in the Supporting Information. Experimental Section CAUTION! (HF)xpyridine is toxic and corrosive. Materials. CuO (99%, Aldrich), MoO3 (99.5%, Aldrich), ZrO2 (99%, Aldrich), TiO2 (99.9%, Aldrich), Nb2O5 (99.99%, Aldrich), WO3 (99%, Aldrich), CdO (99.5%, Aldrich), Ta2O5 (99.99%, Aldrich), HfO2 (98%, Aldrich), ZnO (99%, Aldrich), pyridine (99.8%, anhydrous, Aldrich), and (HF)xpyridine (pyridinium poly(hydrogen fluoride), 70 wt % HF, Aldrich) were used as received. Reagent amounts of deionized H2O were used in the syntheses. * Corresponding author. (1) Halasyamani, P.; Willis, M. J.; Stern, C. L.; Lundquist, P. M.; Wong, G. K.; Poeppelmeier, K. R. Inorg. Chem. 1996, 35, 1367. (2) Halasyamani, P. S.; Heier, K. R.; Norquist, A. J.; Stern, C. L.; Poeppelmeier, K. R. Inorg. Chem. 1998, 37, 369. 6495 Inorg. Chem. 1998, 37, 6495-6501 10.1021/ic9807238 CCC: $15.00 © 1998 American Chemical Society Published on Web 11/20/1998