Strontium Nitridoborate Hydride SrBNH Verified by Single-Crystal X-ray and Neutron Powder Diffraction.

Combining different anions in one material allows tuning of its structural, magnetic, and electronic properties. We hereby present the mixed anion compound SrBNH, expanding the less-known class of nitridoborate hydrides. Solid-state reaction of SrN, BN, and SrH at 850 °C in a tube furnace yielded a gray, air- and moisture-sensitive powder of SrBNH. It crystallizes as colorless platelets in the orthorhombic space group (no. 62) with = 9.9164(2), = 3.9079(1), and = 10.1723(2) Å and = 4. An initial structural model was obtained from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and corroborated by neutron powder diffraction data of the corresponding deuteride. Further validation by H and B MAS NMR, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy complements the structural proof of anionic hydrogen present in the compound. Quantum chemical calculations support the experimental findings and reveal the electronic structure of SrBNH.