Synchrotron powder study of Na3V(PO3)3N

Polycrystalline trisodium vanadium(III) nitridotriphosphate, Na3V( PO3) N-3, was prepared by thermal nitridation of a mixture of NaPO3 and V2O5. The title compound is isotypic with Na3Al( PO3) 3N. In the crystal, the P-atom and the three O-atom sites are on general positions, whereas the Na-,V-and N- atom sites are located on threefold rotation axes. The P atom is coordinated by three O atoms and one N atom in form of a slightly distorted tetrahedron. Three PO3N tetrahedra build up a nitridotriphosphate group, (PO3)(3)N, by sharing a common N atom. The Vatom is coordinated by six O atoms in form of a slightly distorted octahedron. The Na (+) ions occupy three crystallographically distinct sites. One Na (+) ion is situated in an irregular polyhedral coordination environment composed of six O atoms and one N atom, while the other two Na (+) cations are surrounded by six and nine O atoms, respectively.