Abstract
The first quasi-binary acetonitriletriide Sr(3) [C(2) N](2) has been synthesised and characterised. The nearly colourless crystals were obtained from the reaction of Sr metal, graphite, and elemental N(2) , generated by decomposition of Sr(N(3) )(2) , in a sealed Ni ampoule with the aid of an alkali metal flux. The structure of this compound was analysed via single-crystal X-ray diffraction and the identity of the [C(2) N](3-) anion was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and further investigated by quantum-chemical methods. Computed interatomic distances within the [C(2) N](3-) anion strikingly match the obtained experimental data.