Abstract
The crystal structures of Ba(OD)Cl and Ba(OD)Br have been determined by neutron powder diffraction at 295 K and 1.5 K and Rietveld refinement methods {R I = 9.3, 8.2 [Ba(OD)Cl], 5.7, and 4.9% [Ba(OD)Br]}, that of Ba(OH)Cl by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 295 K (R = 4.1% for 1260 reflections). They are isostructural to laurionite Pb(OH)Cl {space group Pnma, Z = 4, a = 738.97(3), b = 443.69(3), and c = 913.90(5) pm [Ba(OH)Cl], a = 738.07(4), b = 447.62(2) and c = 897.93(5) pm [Ba(OD)Cl] and a = 759.65(2), b = 438.77(1), and c = 1030.22(2) pm [Ba(OD)Br] at 295 K}. Whereas hydrogen bonds are not present in the bromide, in the case of Ba(OH)Cl weak hydrogen bonds to adjacent Cl ions are formed which are strengthened on going down to lower temperatures due to reorientation of the OH ions from trifurcated H-bonds to nearly linear ones. The hydrogen bonds of Ba(OD)Cl have been established to be stronger than those of Ba(OH)Cl. This becomes apparent by both the smaller cell volume [296.65(4) pm3 instead of 299.6(1) pm3] and the different transition temperature (170 K–300 K instead of 100 K–180 K).