A new ternary nitride La2GaN3: Synthesis and crystal structure

The ternary nitride La2GaN3 was synthesized at 900 °C from the elements with an excess of sodium and gallium in a sealed niobium tube. La2GaN3 is yellow colored and crystallizes with the Ba2ZnO3 structure [monoclinic space group C2/c (No. 15), a = 5.6709(5) Å, b = 10.945(1) Å, c = 11.986(1) Å, β = 93.591(5)°, V = 742.54(12) Å3, Z = 8] and is isostructural with the A2IIMVN3 nitrides, Sr(Ba)2TaN3, Sr(Ba)2NbN3, Ca(Sr)2VN3. The structure contains infinite chains of GaN4 tetrahedral anions, [GaN2N2/2]6−∞1.