Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Fabrication and Optimization of Type II Silicon Clathrate Films
Published on: October 14, 2025
Synthesis and structure of alkaline earth silicon nitrides: BaSiN(2), SrSiN(2), and CaSiN(2)
Zoltán A Gál1, Phillip M Mallinson, Heston J Orchard
1Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, U.K.
Abstract:
The alkaline earth silicon nitrides AESiN(2) (AE = Ca, Sr, Ba) are reported, synthesized as clear, colorless, single crystals from molten sodium at 900-1100 degrees C or, in the cases of BaSiN(2) and SrSiN(2), as white powders by reacting powdered intermetallics AESi with flowing anhydrous ammonia at 550-1000 degrees C. Structures were determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements at 150 K: BaSiN(2) crystallizes in space group Cmca (No. 64) with a = 5.6046(1) A, b = 11.3605(3) A, c = 7.5851(2) A, and Z = 8. The structure consists of pairs of SiN(4) tetrahedra edge-linked to form bow-tie-shaped Si(2)N(6) dimers which share vertexes to form layers and has no analogue in oxide chemistry. SrSiN(2) has a distorted form of this structure (SrSiN(2): space group P2(1)/c (No. 14), a = 5.9750(5) A, b = 7.2826(7) A, c = 5.4969(4) A, beta = 113.496(4) degrees, Z = 4). The structure of CaSiN(2) contains only vertex-sharing SiN(4) tetrahedra, linked to form a three-dimensional stuffed-cristobalite type framework isostructural with KGaO(2) (CaSiN(2): space group Pbca (No. 61), a = 5.1229(3) A, b = 10.2074(6) A, c = 14.8233(9) A, Z = 16).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
A consequence of chirality is the need for enantiomeric resolution. While this is theoretically possible for all...
Structural Isomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can be...
Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Unit Cells

