Germanium(IV) nitride is an

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...

with the chemical formula Ge₃N₄. It can be produced through the reaction of

germanium Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white and similar in appearance to silicon. It is a metalloid in the carbon group that is chemically similar to its group neighbors s ...

and

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...

: :3 Ge + 4 NH₃ → Ge₃N₄ + 6 H₂

Structure

In its pure state, germanium(IV) nitride is a colorless, inert solid that crystallizes in many polymorphs, of which the most stable is the trigonal β-form (space group ''P''31''c''). In this structure, the germanium atoms are tetrahedrally coordinated while the nitrogen atoms are trigonal planar. The γ-form, which forms under high pressure, has a spinel structure.

References

{{Nitrides Germanium(IV) compounds Nitrides