Na5(Ga4S)(GaS4)3·6H2O: a three-dimensional thiogallate containing a novel octahedral building block

The new thiogallate Na5(Ga4S)(GaS4)3·6H2O has been prepared solvothermally, using 3,5-dimethyl pyridine as a solvent, and characterised by powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction. This material, which exhibits a three-dimensional crystal structure, crystallises in the cubic space group View the MathML sourceF4¯3c (a = 17.557(4) Å). The crystal structure contains octahedral building blocks [Ga4S (GaS4)6]20−, linked into a three-dimensional network with a perovskite-type topology, and sodium hydrate clusters, [Na5(H2O)6]5+, filling the cavities in the [Ga4S(GaS4)6/2]5− framework. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance measurements indicate that this material is a wide band gap semiconductor, with a band gap of ca. 4.4 eV.