Synthesis and crystal structure of acentric anhydrous beryllium carbonate Be(CO).

The anhydrous alkaline earth metal carbonate Be(CO) was synthesized in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell at moderate pressures and temperatures (20(2) GPa and 1500(200) K) by a reaction of BeO with CO. It crystallizes in the acentric, trigonal space group 321 with = 3. The crystal structure was obtained from synchrotron single crystal X-ray diffraction data and confirmed by density functional theory-based calculations in combination with Raman spectroscopy. Second harmonic generation measurements were employed to verify the acentric space group symmetry. The crystal structure of Be(CO) is characterized by the presence of isolated [CO]-groups and BeO-tetrahedra. This is a new structure type and such a topology has not been observed in carbonates before. Be(CO) can be recovered to ambient conditions and is not undergoing a phase transition during decompression.