M2B5 or M2B4? A Reinvestigation of the Mo/B and W/B System

The literature states different compositions (M/B = 1:2 vs. 2:5) and structures for diborides of molybdenum and tungsten. Using X‐ray and neutron powder diffraction as well as energy and wavelength dispersive electron microprobe analysis, the Mo/B and W/B systems were now reinvestigated. Molybdenum diboride crystallizes as a stoichiometric compound Mo2B4 (formerly described as Mo2B5) in space group $R{\bar 3}m$ (No. 166, a, b = 3.01375(2) Å, c = 20.9541(3) Å), and as a non‐stoichiometric compound MoB2−x (formerly described as MoB2) in P6/mmm (No. 191, a, b = 3.043(2) Å, c = 3.067(2) Å), whereas stoichiometric tungsten diboride W2B4 (formerly described as W2B5) is found to crystallize in space group P63/mmc (No. 194, a, b = 2.9864(4) Å, c = 13.896(2) Å). These results seem to be supported by DFT calculations which show the instability of a hypothetic W2B5.