Nitridic Analogs of Micas AESi3P4N10(NH)2 (AE=Mg, Mg0.94Ca0.06, Ca, Sr)

Abstract

We present the first nitridic analogs of micas, namely AESi3P4N10(NH)2 (AE=Mg, Mg0.94Ca0.06, Ca, Sr), which were synthesized under high-pressure high-temperature conditions at 1400 °C and 8 GPa from the refractory nitrides P3N5 and Si3N4, the respective alkaline earth amides, implementing NH4F as a mineralizer. The crystal structure was elucidated by single-crystal diffraction with microfocused synchrotron radiation, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (EDX) mapping with atomic resolution, powder X-ray diffraction, and solid-state NMR. The structures consist of typical tetrahedra–octahedra–tetrahedra (T-O-T) layers with P occupying T and Si occupying O layers, realizing the rare motif of sixfold coordinated silicon atoms in nitrides. The presence of H, as an imide group forming the SiN4(NH)2 octahedra, is confirmed by SCXRD, MAS-NMR, and IR spectroscopy. Eu2+-doped samples show tunable narrow-band emission from deep blue to cyan (451–492 nm).