Rocksaltstruktur

Rocksaltstruktur, also known as the sodium chloride structure, is a common crystal structure observed in ionic compounds. It is characterized by a cubic arrangement of ions. In this structure, one type of ion occupies the lattice points of a face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice, while the other type of ion occupies all the interstitial octahedral holes. Alternatively, one can describe it as two interpenetrating FCC lattices, where one lattice is shifted by half a unit cell edge along one of the cubic axes relative to the other.

Each ion in the rocksalt structure is surrounded by six ions of the opposite charge, forming an octahedral coordination geometry. This means that for any given cation, there are six equidistant anions in a tetrahedral arrangement around it, and vice versa. The chemical formula of compounds adopting the rocksalt structure is typically AB, where A and B represent cations and anions, respectively. Examples of compounds that exhibit this structure include sodium chloride (NaCl), magnesium oxide (MgO), and calcium fluoride (CaF2). The rocksalt structure is known for its stability and is often found in compounds with similar ionic radii and charges.