α-RbO₃, a low temperature polymorph of rubidium ozonide

Applying the known procedure for synthesis of alkali metal ozonides, just at a lower temperature, has yielded a new polymorph of rubidium ozonide, α-RbO₃ [P2₁; a = 436.3(2), b = 595.3(3), c = 548.7(3) pm, β = 99.680(7), R = 0.0400, 1184 reflections]. Like previously reported β-RbO₃, the basic structural arrangement of anions and cations corresponds to the CsCl type of structure, however, the mutual orientation of the ozonide ions is different, in as much as one of the two terminal oxygen atoms is pointing to the adjacent bridging oxygen atom, forming a chain running along the b axis. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)