High-temperature synthesis of Rb2MnP2S6 in molten salt medium

Transparent yellow plates of rubidium manganese hexathiodiphosphate, Rb(2)MnP(2)S(6), were synthesized in molten RbBr. The compound is isotypic to other compounds of the type A(2)MP(2)Q(6) (A = K, Rb, Cs; M = Mn, Fe; Q = S, Se). Its structure can be viewed as columns of face-sharing S(6) polyhedra parallel to the a axis, interconnected by Rb(+). The S(6) polyhedra are centered alternately by Mn (in octahedral coordination) and P(2) units (in trigonal antiprisms). The Mn atom and P(2)S(6) group lie on centers of symmetry.