Na5Sn13: a new zintl phase with a complex network structure constructed from tin pentagons

The compound Na5Sn13 is produced in the sodium-tin system in high yield after prolonged reaction of a quenched mixture at 280 degrees C in a Ta container. The compound has a complex three-dimensional structure composed primarily of 4-bonded atoms in interbonded pentagons. Based on Zintl-Klemm electron-counting formalisms, the compound has a closed-shell electronic configuration with the number of 3-bonded Sn- equal to the number of sodium cations. Property measurements indicate the compound to be diamagnetic.