Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Characterization of the Barium Zinc Tellurate Disilicate: Ba 3 Zn 6 [TeO 6 ][Si 2 O 7 ] 2

The new barium zinc(II) tellurate disilicate Ba 3 Zn 6 [TeO 6 ][Si 2 O 7 ] 2 was synthesized by the high temperature solid state reaction of BaCO 3 , ZnO, and SiO 2 with TeO 3 · H 2 O in a molar ratio of 3:6:4:1 in an evacuated silica tube at 820 °C. Its structure was established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Ba 3 Zn 6 [TeO 6 ][Si 2 O 7 ] 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/m (no. 12), with cell parameters of a = 15.975(5), b = 11.505(4), c = 5.142(2) Å, β = 107.437(5)°, V = 901.7(5) Å 3 , and Z = 2. The structure of Ba 3 Zn 6 [TeO 6 ][Si 2 O 7 ] 2 is composed of two types of zinc oxide polyhedra ([ZnO 4 ] tetrahedra and [ZnO 6 ] octahedra), [TeO 6 ] octahedra, disilicate group [Si 2 O 7 ], [BaO 6 ] and [BaO 7 ] polyhedra. It can be described as a three‐dimensional anionic network of {Zn 6 [TeO 6 ][Si 2 O 7 ] 2 } 6− , which is built from one‐dimensional chains of [Zn 6 TeO 18 ] 18− anion interconnected by disilicate [Si 2 O 7 ] 6− groups with the barium cations located at the six‐membered apertures of the above‐mentioned anionic network.