CuInOVO4 -: Single crystals of a copper(II) indium oxide vanadate by oxidation of Cu/In/V alloys

Red-brown crystals of the new compound CuInOVO4 (monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 879.3(2) pm, b = 615.42(6)pm, c = 1526.2(2)pm, beta = 106.69(2)degrees, Z = 4) were prepared by the reaction of Cu/In/V alloys with oxygen. The investigated crystals were twins by pseudo-merohedry with a (001) twinning plane. The structure contains isolated Cu4O18-groups consisting of trans edge sharing CuO6-octahedra. Interconnection of the groups by (1)(infinity)[In4O16]-ribbons running along [010] which are built of edge- and corner-sharing InO6-octahedra results in the formation of slabs perpendicular to the c-axis. The slabs are linked to a threedimensional framework by VO43- groups. The structure may be derived from a cubic closest packing of the oxygen atoms with copper and indium atoms in the octahedral and vanadium atoms in the tetrahedral vacancies.