Crystal structure of the BiZr3F15 phase

The structure has been determined from single crystal X-Ray diffraction data recorded on a Nonius CAD4 automatic four circles diffractometer. It was solved by conventional Patterson and Fourier methods and refined by full matrix least-squares techniques to a conventional R of 0.051 for 213 independent reflections. The possibility that a large homogeneity domain appears from this partially disordered phase due to a statistical Bi/Zr distribution is discussed and allows the non-stoichiometry occurring in the UF3-ZrF4 system to be understood. Relationship with the Re03 structure are also presented