Redetermination of the crystal structure of [Na₄(H₂O)₁₄]SnS₄: A compound containing a novel chain of aquated sodium ions

[Na₄(H₂O)₁₄]SnS₄ is obtained by the reaction of Na₂S·9H₂O with SnCl₄·5H₂O in aqueous solution at 21°C. It crystallizes in the space group Cc with a = 8.621(2) Å, b = 23.543(5) Å, c = 11.358(2) Å, β = 110.58(3)° and V = 2158.2 ų with Z = 2. Refinement of 3826 unique reflections from a racemically twinned crystal yielded a final value of R₁ = 0.0464(|F| > 4σ) and wR₂ = 0.104 and a goodness of fit of 1.125. The structure consists of a Na⁺/H₂O network supporting the tetrahedral SnS₄^4- anions. Water molecules or sulfide ions octahedrally coordinate each of the four crystallographically independent Na⁺ ions. The dominant feature of the structure is the existence of zigzag chains of edgeshared Na octahedra. These chains are tied together into a three-dimensional network by bridging Na(H₂O)₆ octahedra and individual H₂O molecules.