Synthesis of a missing structural link: the first trigonal planar B₄units in the novel complex boride Ti_1+xOs_2−xRuB₂(x = 0.6)

Abstract

The newly synthesized boride Ti(1+x)Os(2-x)RuB(2) (x = 0.6) has a novel structure featuring one-dimensional chains of titanium atoms, one-dimensional strings of face-sharing empty tetrahedral and square pyramidal clusters and, most importantly, trigonal planar and strongly bonded B4 units with a B-B distance of 1.89 A.