Oxonitridosilicate chlorides-synthesis, single-crystal X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, chemical analysis and properties of Ln4[Si4O3+xN7−x]Cl1−xOx with Ln=Ce, Pr, Nd and x≈0.2

A wide spectrum of complimentary analytical techniques has been applied for the investigation of the elemental distribution in complex oxonitridosilicates. The results nicely demonstrate the high benefit and the precision limits of modern analytical techniques for the investigation of substitutional effects in complex oxonitrides.