The crystal structure of KNa3Te8O18·5H2O exhibiting a ∞ 2[Te4O9]2− layer

KNa3Te8O18·5H2O, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a = 8.5701(4) Å, b = 8.7278(4) Å, c = 10.4082(5) Å, α = 67.582(2)°, β = 66.167(2)°, γ = 77.861(2)°, V = 656.85(6) Å3, Z = 1, R gt (F) = 0.0180, wR ref(F 2) = 0.0452, T = 296(2) K.

On the Spectral Similarity of Bridging and Nonbridging Oxygen in Tellurites

We show by high field (17)O solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and by ab initio calculations of both the NMR and the oxygen 1s photoelectron spectra that the oxygen sites in tellurite glasses show no spectroscopic distinction, even when comparing bridging and nonbridging sites. This is remarkable because two such sites differ formally by a full electronic charge, and they are readily distinguished by these same methods in silicates. We argue that this similarity arises from the symmetry breaking that occurs when the original TeO(2) crystal solid forms, due to the pseudo-Jahn-Teller distortion induced by the two additional valence electrons present in Te(IV) as compared to Si(IV).

A 125Te and 23Na NMR investigation of the structure and crystallisation of sodium tellurite glasses

125Te static nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and 23Na and 125Te magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR have been used, in conjunction with X-ray diffraction, to examine the structure and crystallisation behaviour of glasses of composition xNa2O.(1-x)TeO2 (0.075 x 0.4). The MAS NMR 23Na spectra from the glasses are broad and featureless but shift by approximately +5 ppm with increased x, i.e. as the system becomes more ionic. The static 125Te NMR spectra show an increase in axial symmetry with increasing x, indicating a shift from predominantly [TeO4] to [TeO3] structural units. The 23Na and 125Te spectra from the crystallised samples have been fitted to obtain information on the sites in the metastable crystal phases, which are the first to form on heating and which are therefore more closely related to the glass structure than thermodynamically stable crystal phases. New sodium tellurite phases are reported, including a sodium stabilised, face centred cubic phase related to delta-TeO2; a metastable form of Na2Te4O9 containing 3 sodium and 4 tellurium sites; and a metastable form of Na2Te2O5 containing 2 sodium sites. There is evidence of oxidation of TeIV to TeVI occurring in glasses with high values of x and, at x=0.40 and 0.50 (outside the glass forming range), some sodium metatellurate (Na2TeO4) is formed at the same time as sodium metatellurite (Na2TeO3). The 125Te shift is very sensitive to environment within the sodium tellurite system, covering more than 320 ppm, with anisotropies varying from 640 to 1540 ppm. The lack of features in the 125Te spectra of the glass phases, combined with the large shift range and high but variable anisotropy, means than it is not possible to obtain a unique fit to any presumed species present. Furthermore, the chemical shift anisotropy parameters for three of the four Te sites in the Na2Te4O9 phase are found to lie outside the range used for previous simulations of glass spectra.

Modeling glasses using the reverse Monte Carlo algorithm: addition of nuclear magnetic resonance and expanded coordination number constraints

In simple oxide glasses the coordination number and oxidation state of the glass-forming element can be predicted directly from the "8--n" rule. Tellurite glasses, however, are unusual in that the coordination number of oxygen around tellurium varies without a corresponding change in the oxidation state of tellurium. To model sodium tellurite glasses successfully using the reverse Monte Carlo algorithm several new constraints have been added. Changes include extending the original coordination constraint to allow multiple coordination numbers, and the addition of a new coordination constraint to keep the oxidation state of tellurium constant by limiting the number of bridging and nonbridging oxygens bonded to each tellurium atom. In addition, the second moment of the distribution of dipolar couplings for sodium atoms obtained from a spin-echo NMR experiment was added as a new constraint. The resulting real-space models are presented and the effectiveness of the new constraints is discussed.