Soft X-ray emission spectroscopy study of electronic structure of sodium borosilicide Na8B74.5Si17.5.

Chemical bonding state of sodium borosilicide Na8B74.5Si17.5, which is a new member of B12-cluster materials, is investigated by soft X-ray emission spectroscopy. The material is composed of B12 cluster network and characteristic silicon chains of [-Si-(Si-Si)3-Si-] connected by sp3 bonding, in which bonding distances and bonding angles are close to those in cubic Si crystal. B K-emission spectrum of the material showed a similar but a broader intensity distribution with those of B12 cluster materials of α-r-B, B4C and β-r-B. The broader intensity distribution can be due to a variation of B-B bond length in B12 cluster. The density of states (DOS) of silicon chains of [-Si-(Si-Si)3-Si-] was experimentally derived. It shows a similar energy width, and peak or shoulder structures in intensity distribution with those of L-emission spectrum of cubic Si. From comparisons between experimental spectra and corresponding calculated DOS, covalent bonding between Si chain and B12 cluster network is suggested. Those are discussed by using a theoretically calculated density of state of Na8B74.5Si17.5 by using WIEN2k code.