Advancing the attainable composition space of a compound class can lead to fascinating materials. The first tetravalent metal nitridophosphate, namely Hf9-x P24 N52-4x O4x (x≈1.84), was prepared by high-pressure metathesis. The Group 4 nitridophosphates are now an accessible class of compounds. The high-pressure metathesis reaction using a multianvil setup yielded single crystals that were suitable for structure analysis. Magnetic properties of the compound indicate Hf in oxidation state +IV. Optical measurements show a band gap in the UV region. The presented route unlocks the new class of Group 4 nitridophosphates by significantly improving the understanding of this nitride chemistry. Hf9-x P24 N52-4x O4x (x≈1.84) is a model system and its preparation is the first step towards a systematic exploration of the transition-metal nitridophosphates.
Keywords: high-pressure chemistry; metathesis; nitrides; solid-state synthesis; transition metals.
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