Y2TeO6 with the La2TeO6-type structure

Of rare-earth metal hexaoxotellurates(VI), only the structures of formula type RE2TeO6 are known so far. Diyttrium(III) hexaoxotellurate(VI), Y2TeO6, crystallizes isotypically with the orthorhombic La2TeO6-prototype structure in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). Single crystals were obtained by fusing a mixture of Y2O3 and TeO3 (1: 1 molar ratio) in evacuated silica ampoules. The crystal structure is built up by alternating zigzag chains of edge-sharing [Y1O(7)] and vertex-sharing [Y2O(7)] polyhedra. Both chain types are arranged in interpenetrating tetragonal rod-packings and are joined to each other by sharing common edges and vertices. The three-dimensional [Y2O6](6-) framework has channels along [100] in which the Te6+ cations reside, leading to discrete [TeO6] octahedra.