DOE OSTI2020
ScNiAl crystallizes in the orthorhombic Amm2 space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are two inequivalent Sc sites. In the first Sc site, Sc is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Sc, five Ni, and seven Al atoms. All Sc–Sc bond lengths are 3.13 Å. There are three shorter (2.82 Å) and two longer (3.08 Å) Sc–Ni bond lengths. There are a spread of Sc–Al bond distances ranging from 2.99–3.07 Å. In the second Sc site, Sc is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to four Sc, seven Ni, and five Al atoms. The Sc–Sc bond length is 2.86 Å. There are a spread of Sc–Ni bond distances ranging from 2.92–3.03 Å. There are a spread of Sc–Al bond distances ranging from 2.91–3.05 Å. There are three inequivalent Ni sites. In the first Ni site, Ni is bonded to six Sc and six Al atoms to form distorted NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra, corners with six NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, edges with six NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, and faces with fourteen AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra. There are a spread of Ni–Al bond distances ranging from 2.51–2.61 Å. In the second Ni site, Ni is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to six Sc, four Ni, and two equivalent Al atoms. There are a spread of Ni–Ni bond distances ranging from 2.49–2.68 Å. Both Ni–Al bond lengths are 2.46 Å. In the third Ni site, Ni is bonded to six Sc, four equivalent Ni, and two equivalent Al atoms to form distorted NiSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra that share corners with six NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra, edges with six NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra. Both Ni–Al bond lengths are 2.48 Å. There are two inequivalent Al sites. In the first Al site, Al is bonded to six Sc, four Ni, and two equivalent Al atoms to form distorted AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra that share corners with four NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent AlSc6Al4Ni2 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra, faces with six NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra. Both Al–Al bond lengths are 2.67 Å. In the second Al site, Al is bonded to six Sc, two equivalent Ni, and four Al atoms to form distorted AlSc6Al4Ni2 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent NiSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra, corners with eight AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent AlSc6Al4Ni2 cuboctahedra, faces with six NiSc6Al6 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten AlSc6Al2Ni4 cuboctahedra. There are one shorter (2.53 Å) and one longer (2.65 Å) Al–Al bond lengths.