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The high-temperature phases of the alkali-metal oxalates M2[C2O4] (M = K, Rb, Cs), and their decomposition products M2[CO3] (M = K, Rb, Cs), were investigated by fast, angle-dispersive X-ray powder diffraction with an image-plate detector, and also by simultaneous differential thermal analysis (DTA)/thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/mass spectrometry (MS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. The following phases, in order of decreasing temperature, were observed and crystallographically characterized (an asterisk denotes a previously unknown modification): *alpha-K2[C2O4], *alpha-Rb2[C2O4], *alpha-Cs2[C2O4], alpha-K2[CO3], *alpha-Rb2[CO3], and *alpha-Cs2[CO3] in space group P6(3)/mmc; *beta-Rb2[C2O4], *beta-Cs2[C2O4], *beta-Rb2[CO3], and *beta-Cs2[CO3] in Pnma; gamma-Rb2[C2O4], gamma-Cs[C2O4], gamma-Rb2[CO3], and gamma-Cs2[CO3] in P2(1)/c; and delta-K2[C2O4] and delta-Rb2[C2O4] in Pbam. With respect to the centers of gravity of the oxalate and carbonate anions, respectively, the crystal structures of all known alkali-metal oxalates and carbonates belong to the AlB2 family, and adopt either the AlB2 or the Ni2In arrangement depending on the size of the cation and the temperature. Despite the different sizes and constitutions of the carbonate and oxalate anions, the high-temperature phases of the alkali-metal carbonates M2[CO3] (M = K, Rb, Cs), exhibit the same sequence of basic structures as the corresponding alkali-metal oxalates. The topological aspects and order-disorder phenomena at elevated temperature are discussed.

We report the crystal structure of rubidium peroxodicarbonate, which was synthesized by electrocrystallization at T=257 K, from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with four formula units per unit cell and cell parameters of a=7.9129(1), b=10.5117(1), c=7.5559(1) A, beta=102.001(1) degrees, and V=614.75(1) A(3). The packing can be considered as a strongly distorted CsCl type of structure. The conformation of the peroxodicarbonate anion was found to be planar (C(2h) symmetry), in contrast to the staggered conformation of the peroxodicarbonate anion in the respective potassium peroxodicarbonate. The different conformation is attributed to packing effects.

The molecular and crystal structures of solvent-free potassium, rubidium, and cesium oxalates have been determined ab initio from high-resolution synchrotron and X-ray laboratory powder patterns. In the case of potassium oxalate K(2)C(2)O(4) (a = 10.91176(7) A, b = 6.11592(4) A, c = 3.44003(2) A, orthorhombic, Pbam, Z = 2), the oxalate anion is planar, whereas in cesium oxalate Cs(2)C(2)O(4) (a = 6.62146(5) A, b = 11.00379(9) A, c = 8.61253(7) A, beta = 97.1388(4) degrees, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, Z = 4) it exhibits a staggered conformation. For rubidium oxalate at room temperature, two polymorphs exist, one (beta-Rb(2)C(2)O(4)) isotypic to potassium oxalate (a = 11.28797(7) A, b = 6.29475(4) A, c = 3.62210(2) A, orthorhombic, Pbam, Z = 2) and the other (alpha-Rb(2)C(2)O(4)) isotypic to cesium oxalate (a = 6.3276(1) A, b = 10.4548(2) A, c = 8.2174(2) A, beta = 98.016(1) degrees, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, Z = 4). The potassium oxalate structure can be deduced from the AlB(2) type, and the cesium oxalate structure from the Hg(99)As type, respectively. The relation between the two types of crystal structures and the reason for the different conformations of the oxalate anion are discussed.