DOE OSTI2020
Na3Ni is Uranium Silicide-like structured and crystallizes in the tetragonal I4/mmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are two inequivalent Na sites. In the first Na site, Na is bonded to four equivalent Na and four equivalent Ni atoms to form distorted NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra that share corners with eight equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra, corners with sixteen NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra, edges with sixteen NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra. All Na–Na bond lengths are 3.21 Å. All Na–Ni bond lengths are 3.21 Å. In the second Na site, Na is bonded to eight equivalent Na and four equivalent Ni atoms to form distorted NaNa8Ni4 cuboctahedra that share corners with eight equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra, corners with twenty NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra, edges with sixteen NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent NaNa8Ni4 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra. All Na–Ni bond lengths are 3.27 Å. Ni is bonded to twelve Na atoms to form NiNa12 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra, corners with twenty-four NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent NaNa4Ni4 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent NiNa12 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent NaNa8Ni4 cuboctahedra.