The crystal structure of bøgvadite (Na2SrBa2Al4F20)

The crystal structure of bøgvadite, Na2SrBa2Al4F20, has been solved and refined to a R1 factor of 4.4 % from single-crystal data (MoKα X-ray diffraction, CCD area detector) on a sample from the cryolite deposit at Ivittuut, SW Greenland. Bøgvadite is monoclinic, P21/n space group, with unit cell parameters a = 7.134(1), b = 19.996(3) and c = 5.3440(8) Å, β = 90.02(1)o. A close proximity of the crystal structure to an orthorhombic symmetry and the presence of the two twin components in a nearly 1:1 ratio suggest that the investigated bøgvadite crystal has originally formed as a high-temperature orthorhombic polymorph which on cooling transformed to the stable low temperature monoclinic structure. The bøgvadite crystal structure has groupings of cation-fluoride coordination polyhedra similar to those found in the crystal structures of the genetically closely associated minerals jarlite and jørgensenite. However, its structure type is different from the latter two. The fluoridoaluminate framework of bøgvadite consists of infinite zig-zag chains of cis-connected AlF6 coordination octahedra. The 1∞[AlF5] chains are interconnected by infinite chains of Na-F coordination polyhedra which extend in the same direction. Na is coordinated by nine F atoms if its full surrounding is taken in consideration, but makes significant chemical bonds only to closest five. The chains of AlF6 and NaF9 coordination polyhedra form double layers. In the centre of layers, relatively large voids in the form of pentagonal antiprisms are occupied by Sr atoms which make chemical bonds with the closest six F atoms. Between the SrF10 coordinations in the centre of layers run empty channels. The double layers are interconnected by Ba atoms which are coordinated by eight F atoms and fill the spaces between the layers. Bøgvadite belongs to the group of fluoridoaluminates with infinite chains of cis-connected AlF6 coordination octahedra, alike those found in the crystal structures of Ba-fluoridoaluminates.