Crystal structures of eta ''-Cu3+xSi and eta '''-Cu3+xSi

Abstract : The binary phase diagram of Cu-Si is unexpectedly complex in the vicinity of Cu3+xSi. The low-temperature region contains three closely related incommensurately modulated phases denoted, in order of increasing temperature of stability, eta''', eta '' and eta'. The structure analysis of eta' has been reported previously [Palatinus et al. (2011). Inorg. Chem. 50, 3743]. Here the structure model for the phases eta '' and eta''' is reported. The structures could be solved in superspace, but no superspace structure model could be constructed due to the complexity of the modulation functions. Therefore, the structures were described in a supercell approximation, which involved a 4 x 4 x 3 supercell for the eta '' phase and a 14 x 14 x 3 supercell for the eta''' phase. Both structures are very similar and differ only by a subtle symmetry lowering from eta '' to eta'''. A comparison of the structure models of eta '' and eta''' with the reported structure of eta' suggests that the reported structure model of eta' contains an incorrect assignment of atomic types.