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Phase formation in the mixed sulfate-selenate aqueous system of uranyl nitrate and cesium nitrate has been investigated. Two types of crystalline compounds have been obtained and characterized using a number of experimental (single crystal XRD, FTIR, SEM) and theoretical (information-based complexity calculations, topological analysis) techniques. No miscibility gaps have been observed for Cs 2 [(UO 2 ) 2 ( T O 4 ) 3 ] ( T = S, Se), which crystallizes in tetragonal system, P -42 1 m , a =9.616(1)–9.856(2), c =8.105(1)–8.159(1) Å, V =749.6(2)–792.5(3) Å 3 . Nine phases with variable amount of S and Se have been structurally characterized. The structures of the Cs 2 [(UO 2 ) 2 ( T O 4 ) 3 ] ( T = S, Se) compounds are based upon the [(UO 2 ) 2 ( T O 4 ) 3 ] 2- layers of corner-sharing uranyl pentagonal bipyramids and T O 4 tetrahedra. The layers contain two types of tetrahedral sites: T 1 (3-connected, i.e. having three O atoms shared by adjacent uranyl polyhedra) and T 2 (4-connected). The Se-for-S substitution in tetrahedral sites is highly selective with smaller S 6+ cation showing a strong preference for the more tightly bonded T 2 site. Crystallization in the pure Se system starts with the formation of Cs 2 [(UO 2 )(SeO 4 ) 2 (H 2 O)](H 2 O) crystals, its subsequent dissolution and formation of Cs 2 [(UO 2 ) 2 (SeO 4 ) 3 ]. The information-based structural complexity calculations for these two phases support the rule that more topologically complex structures form at the latest stages of crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]