Structural characterization of high-pressure C-Na 2 Si 2 O 5 by single-crystal diffraction and 29 Si MAS NMR

Single crystals of C–Na2Si2O5 have been synthesized from the hydrothermal recrystallization of a glass. The title compound is monoclinic, space group P21/c with Z= 8 and unit-cell parameters a= 4.8521 (4)A, b=23.9793(16)A, c=8.1410(6)A, β=90.15(1)° and V=947.2(2)A3. The structure has been determined by direct methods and belongs to the group of phyllosilicates. It is based on layers of tetrahedra with elliptically six-membered rings in chair conformation. The sequence of directedness within a single ring is UDUDUD. The sheets are parallel to (010) with linking sodium cations in five- and sixfold coordination. Concerning the shape and the conformation of the rings, C–Na2Si2O5 is closely related to β-Na2Si2O5. However, both structures differ in the stacking sequences of the layers. A possible explanation for the frequently observed polysynthetic twinning of phase C is presented. In the 29Si MAS-NMR spectrum of C–Na2Si2O5 four well-resolved lines of equal intensity are observed at −86.0, −86.3, −87.4, and −88.2 ppm. The narrow range of isotropic chemical shifts reflects the great similarity of the environments of the different Si sites. This lack of pronounced differences in geometry renders a reliable assignment of the resonance lines to the individual sites on the basis of known empiric correlations and geometrical features impossible.