Revised Bismuth Chloroselenite System: Evidence of a Noncentrosymmmetric Structure with a Giant Unit Cell

The
reactions between PbO, Bi2O3 (or BiOCl),
and SeO2 by the chemical vapor transport method using HCl
as a transporting agent afforded three novel bismuth/lead chloroselenites,
namely, β-BiSeO3Cl (1), Bi6(SeO3)4Cl10 (2), and
PbBi10(SeO3)12Cl8 (3). Compound 1 is noncentrosymmetric (space group Cc, SHG active) and has a giant unit cell (V = 19792(2) Å3). In the context of the complex BiSeO3Cl phase diagram reported by Oppermann et al., it was assigned
to the undescribed β-form on the basis of its IR spectra and
powder X-ray diffraction pattern. The comparison between the α-,
β-, and γ-forms suggests their formation via the condensation
of volatile Bi­(SeO3)Cl molecules. Analysis of the structures
of the α-, β-, and γ-forms indicates that the α
→ β → γ phase transitions are associated
with a dramatic fluctuation of structural complexity together with
the transitional character of the β phase. Compounds 1 and 3 are layered compounds with identical ([M8Cl16]8+ and [M14(SeO3)24]6−) layers, where M stands
for Bi in 1 and Pb/Bi in 3. There are additional
[Bi12Cl32]4+ layered subunits in 1. The crystal structure of 2 consists of the
[Bi6(SeO3)4Cl10] building
blocks forming an open framework with six-membered-ring channels.
These three compounds complete the poorly known bismuth selenium oxochloride
panorama.