Li_0.17Na_5.83Mo₁₁O₃₆

The title mixed-alkali-metal molybdenium oxide, hexa­kis­(lithium/sodium) undeca­molybdate, was synthesized by solid-state reaction at 793 K. Its [Mo₁₁O₃₆]^6- framework is built up from MoO₆ octa­hedra and MoO₅ pyramids linked together by edges and vertices. The framework delimits two types of inter­secting tunnels running along [100] and [001], where the sodium and lithium ions are located. Two of the sodium ions and the lithium ion have fractional site occupancies. One of the Mo atoms has site symmetry 2, one sodium ion has site symmetry 2 and one has site symmetry -1, and the Li⁺ ion has site symmetry 2. Structural relationships between the title compound and the anatase and Na₆Mo₁₁O₃₆ structures are discussed.