The crystal structure of the room temperature modification of indium chloride, InCl

Abstract

The yellow crystals of the room-temperature modification of indium chloride, InCl, are cubic with a = 12.368 + 0.001/~. The space group is P213 and the unit cell contains 32 molecules of InCl. The positions of the In atoms were determined by a Patterson synthesis and those of the C1 atoms by two Fourier syntheses, using three-dimensional data. InC1 has a deformed NaCI structure; the deformation is such that of the twelve In + ions surrounding a given In + ion three are much nearer to it than the other nine, these distances being about 3-65 and 4-70 A., respectively. This structure can be explained only by postulating cation bonding.