Sc-Sc bonding in the new ternary phosphide ScNiP

摘要

The new phosphide ScNip can be synthesized by are-melting of ScP and Ni, or by are-melting of Sc with NiP. The lattice Synthesis constants, as obtained from the bulk sample, are a = 6.3343(8) Angstrom b = 3.7375(7) Angstrom, c = 7.0917(8), and V = 167.89(4) Angstrom(3). ScNiP crystallizes in the Co2Si structure type. Although one might assign the trivalent state to Sc, corresponding to a formal ionic formula of SC3+Ni+/-0P3-, the structure of ScNiP contains Sc-Sc bonds and shows weak metallic properties, as expected based on extended Huckel calculations, (C) 1998 Academic Press. [References: 14]