DOE OSTI2020
LaCu4 is Bergman Structure: Mg32(Al,Zn)49 Bergman-derived structured and crystallizes in the tetragonal I-4m2 space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are four inequivalent La sites. In the first La site, La is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to sixteen Cu atoms. There are a spread of La–Cu bond distances ranging from 2.96–3.43 Å. In the second La site, La is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to fourteen Cu atoms. There are a spread of La–Cu bond distances ranging from 3.01–3.29 Å. In the third La site, La is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to sixteen Cu atoms. There are a spread of La–Cu bond distances ranging from 3.06–3.30 Å. In the fourth La site, La is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to sixteen Cu atoms. There are a spread of La–Cu bond distances ranging from 3.02–3.31 Å. There are eight inequivalent Cu sites. In the first Cu site, Cu is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to four La and six Cu atoms. There are a spread of Cu–Cu bond distances ranging from 2.53–2.78 Å. In the second Cu site, Cu is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four La and five Cu atoms. There are a spread of Cu–Cu bond distances ranging from 2.49–2.69 Å. In the third Cu site, Cu is bonded to four La and eight Cu atoms to form a mixture of edge, face, and corner-sharing CuLa4Cu8 cuboctahedra. There are a spread of Cu–Cu bond distances ranging from 2.51–2.68 Å. In the fourth Cu site, Cu is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to four La and six Cu atoms. There are a spread of Cu–Cu bond distances ranging from 2.43–2.87 Å. In the fifth Cu site, Cu is bonded in a 11-coordinate geometry to five La and six Cu atoms. In the sixth Cu site, Cu is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to four La and six Cu atoms. There are two shorter (2.51 Å) and one longer (2.78 Å) Cu–Cu bond lengths. In the seventh Cu site, Cu is bonded to two La and ten Cu atoms to form a mixture of face and corner-sharing CuLa2Cu10 cuboctahedra. There are a spread of Cu–Cu bond distances ranging from 2.47–2.63 Å. In the eighth Cu site, Cu is bonded to four La and eight Cu atoms to form a mixture of edge, face, and corner-sharing CuLa4Cu8 cuboctahedra.