Structures Involving P and O Layers

Abstract

We begin consideration of structures of compounds as various combinations of layers. In this chapter we examine compounds that involve only P and O layers. These structures include hundreds of MX type compounds and, with partial filling of layers, compounds other than those with 1:1 atom ratios. Octahedral layers are normally halfway between P layers, and for a ccp arrangement the P and O layers are equivalent and can be interchanged. Ionic MX compounds are commonly encountered for PO structures. The configuration of neighbors of atoms in O sites are normally octahedral, but can be square planar or linear for partial filling of layers.