DOE OSTI2020
Sm2Ge2O7 crystallizes in the triclinic P-1 space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are four inequivalent Sm3+ sites. In the first Sm3+ site, Sm3+ is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to eight O2- atoms. There are a spread of Sm–O bond distances ranging from 2.38–2.69 Å. In the second Sm3+ site, Sm3+ is bonded in a 7-coordinate geometry to seven O2- atoms. There are a spread of Sm–O bond distances ranging from 2.31–2.47 Å. In the third Sm3+ site, Sm3+ is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to six O2- atoms. There are a spread of Sm–O bond distances ranging from 2.30–2.46 Å. In the fourth Sm3+ site, Sm3+ is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to eight O2- atoms. There are a spread of Sm–O bond distances ranging from 2.32–2.90 Å. There are four inequivalent Ge4+ sites. In the first Ge4+ site, Ge4+ is bonded in a tetrahedral geometry to four O2- atoms. There are a spread of Ge–O bond distances ranging from 1.74–1.81 Å. In the second Ge4+ site, Ge4+ is bonded to four O2- atoms to form corner-sharing GeO4 tetrahedra. There are a spread of Ge–O bond distances ranging from 1.75–1.88 Å. In the third Ge4+ site, Ge4+ is bonded to four O2- atoms to form corner-sharing GeO4 tetrahedra. There are a spread of Ge–O bond distances ranging from 1.75–1.81 Å. In the fourth Ge4+ site, Ge4+ is bonded to four O2- atoms to form corner-sharing GeO4 tetrahedra. There are a spread of Ge–O bond distances ranging from 1.74–1.82 Å. There are fourteen inequivalent O2- sites. In the first O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 3-coordinate geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the second O2- site, O2- is bonded to three Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom to form distorted edge-sharing OSm3Ge tetrahedra. In the third O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 3-coordinate geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the fourth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 3-coordinate geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the fifth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the sixth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to three Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the seventh O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 1-coordinate geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the eighth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to one Sm3+ and two Ge4+ atoms. In the ninth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to three Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the tenth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the eleventh O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the twelfth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a 1-coordinate geometry to three Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the thirteenth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to two Sm3+ and one Ge4+ atom. In the fourteenth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 120 degrees geometry to two Ge4+ atoms.