γ-Sodium gallate: a Rietveld refinement using X-ray powder diffraction

Tetrahedrally coordinated oxides usually present polymorphism, but for NaGaO(2), only the beta polymorph has been reported. In this work, the synthesis and structural characterization of gamma-sodium gallate, gamma-NaGaO(2), are presented. The crystal structure belongs to the orthorhombic system, space group Pbca (No. 61), and has been characterized by a Rietveld refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern. The structure is similar to those exhibited by the gamma phases of many tetrahedral oxides.