The monoclinic form of trilithium dichromium(III) tris­(orthophosphate)

The monoclinic form of trilithium dichromium(III) tris­(ortho­phosphate), Li(3)Cr(2)(PO(4))(3), was prepared by the reactive halide flux method. The structure of the title compound is composed of a three-dimensional anionic framework with composition (∞) (3)[Cr(2)(PO(4))(3)](3−) and Li(+) ions situated in the empty channels. The rigid framework built up from CrO(6) octa­hedra and PO(4) tetra­hedra is the same as that found in other monoclinic Li(3) M (2)(PO(4))(3) (M = Fe, Sc, V) phases. The three Li(+) cations of Li(3)Cr(2)(PO(4))(3) are unequally disordered over six crystallographically different sites. The classical charge balance of the title compound can be represented as [Li(+)](3)[Cr(3+)](2)[P(5+)](3)[O(2−)](12). Solid-state UV/Vis spectra indicate that the crystal filed splitting (Δ(0)) of the Cr(3+) ion is around 2.22 eV.