Ti insertion in the MTe5 (M = Zr, Hf) structure type: Hf0.78Ti0.22Te5

The group 5 mixed-metal telluride, Hf(0.78)Ti(0.22)Te(5) (hafnium titanium penta-telluride), is isostructural with the binary phases HfTe(5) and ZrTe(5) and forms a layered structure extending parallel to (010). The layers are made up from chains of bicapped metal-centered trigonal prisms and zigzag Te chains. The metal site (site symmetry m2m) is occupied by statistically disordered Hf [78.1 (5)%] and Ti [21.9 (5)%]. In addition to the regular Te-Te pair [2.7448 (13) Å] forming the short base of the equilateral triangle of the trigonal prism, an inter-mediate Te⋯Te separation [2.9129 (9) Å] is also found. The classical charge balance of the compound can be described as [M(4+)][Te(2-)][Te(2) (2-)][Te(2) (0)] (M = Hf, Ti). The individual metal content can vary in different crystals, apparently forming a random substitutional solid solution (Hf(1-x)Ti(x))Te(5), with 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.22.