A. P. Tyutyunnik

Defect crystal structure of new TiO(OH)2 hydroxide and related lithium salt Li2TiO3

Crystal structures of TiO(OH)(2) and Li(2)TiO(3) have been studied in detail and refined using X-ray powder diffraction data. Both compounds possess a high concentration of defects in the structure. The crystal structure of the Li(2)TiO(3) salt obtained at 700 degrees C reveals stacking faults of LiTi(2) metal layers, which leads to the appearance of short-range order in three possible space groups: C2/c, C2/m, P3(1)12. The possibility to stabilise this imperfect state increases the mobility of the Li(+) ions in the structure and allows the complete exchange of lithium by hydrogen in acid water solutions with formation of TiO(OH)(2). The crystal structure of TiO(OH)(2) belongs to the layered double hydroxide structure type with the 3R(1) sequence of oxygen layers and can be described as a stacking of charge-neutral metal oxyhydroxide slabs [(OH)(2)OTi(2)O(OH)(2)]. TiO(OH)(2) is the first layered double hydroxide structure formed by a cation with oxidation state +4 only.

Synthesis and structural, magnetic and electrical characterisation of the reduced oxoniobates BaNb8O14, EuNb8O14, Eu2Nb5O9 and EuxNbO3 (x = 0.7, 1.0)

Abstract Powder samples of the reduced oxoniobates Eu0.7NbO3, EuNbO3, Eu2Nb5O9, EuNb8O14 and BaNb8O14 have been synthesised. EuNbO3 and Eu0.7NbO3 adopt the perovskite type structure (space group Pm3m) with unit cell parameters a = 4.021(1) and 3.981(3) A , respectively. Eu2Nb5O9 exhibits an intergrowth structure which can be described as alternating slabs of NbO and EuNbO3. It crystallises in P4 mmm with a = 4.131(1) and c = 12.043(5) A . EuNb8O14 and the here synthesised modification of BaNb8O14 is isostructural with SrNb8O14. The structures of EuNb8O14 and BaNb8O14 have been refined from X-ray powder diffraction data with the Rietveld technique. They have the unit cell parameters a = 9.2272(1), b = 10.2647(2), c = 5.9381(1) and a = 9.3451(1), b = 10.2689(2), c = 5.9470(4) A , (space group Pbam), respectively. In all the studied compounds AO12 cuboctahedra (A = Eu, Ba) form either chains (in ANb8O14), double layers (in Eu2Nb5O9) or three-dimensional nets (in EuNbO3 and Eu0.7NbO3). Magnetic susceptibility measurements show temperature independent paramagnetism for BaNb8O14, while the susceptibilities of the Eu niobates follow Curie-Weiss laws with effective magnetic moments in good agreement with the expected μeff = 7.9 μB for Eu2+. Eu0.7NbO3 and Eu1.0NbO3 exhibit ferromagnetic ordering below 4 K. BaNb8O14 and EuNb8O14 are semiconductors, while Eu2Nb5O9, EuNbO3 and Eu0.7NbO3 are metallic.

Crystal structure of the low-temperature form of K3PO4

The crystal structure of the low-temperature form of K3PO4 has been determined for the first time using neutron diffraction (Rietveld method) and Raman spectroscopy: orthorhombic cell (sp. gr. Pnma, Z = 4), lattice parameters a = 1.12377(2) nm, b = 0.81046(1) nm, c = 0.59227(1) nm. The structure is made up of isolated [PO4] tetrahedra, with the potassium ions in between.

Rietveld refinement studies of Nb4N5- and Nb5N6-related phases in the (Mn)-Nb-O-N system

The structures of two Nb and two Mn–Nb (oxy)nitrides have been refined from Cu Kα1 powder diffractometer data by the Rietveld method and have been characterised by electron diffraction. The phases Nb3.49N4.56O0.44 and Mn0.54Nb3.07N4.40O0.60 have structures related to that of Nb4N5, an NaCl type with ordered metal vacancies. Refinements in space group I4/m, with RF=1.3% and 1.1%, respectively, have shown that they are disordered and that metal atoms partially occupy both the nominally filled 8h position and the nominally empty 2a position in the Nb4N5 type. The observed bond lengths indicate that the 2a position is occupied only by Mn atoms in Mn0.54Nb3.07N4.40O0.60. The Nb5N6 type structure of Nb5(N,O)6 and the related structure of MnNb2(N,O)3 has been refined in space group P63/mcm to RF=1.5% and 2.9%, respectively. In the latter, the trigonal prism sites 6g are found to be occupied only by Nb, the octahedral 4d sites by approximately equal amounts Mn and Nb and the octahedral 2a site, empty in the Nb5N6 type structure, only by Mn. The Nb (oxy)nitride structures exhibit short Nb–Nb distances which indicates localised bonding between Nb atoms. Magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity measurements of the tetragonal phases at 15–300 K show, respectively, small magnetic moments which are coupled in an antiferromagnetic manner at low temperatures and poor, nearly temperature-independent, conductivities.

Structural and Vibrational Properties of the Ordered Y2CaGe4O12 Germanate: A Periodic Ab Initio Study

DFT calculations with six LDA, GGA, and hybrid functionals have been performed using the CRYSTAL09 code to describe the crystal structure and vibrational spectra of Y2CaGe4O12 cyclotetragermanate, a new optical host. Two space groups P4/nbm and Cmme have been considered. The former corresponds to a mixed (0.5 Ca + 0.5 Y) distribution at the octahedral sites found from the results of Rietveld refinement of room temperature powder XRD pattern; the latter refers to the model of crystallographically nonequivalent calcium and yttrium atomic setting in distorted oxygen octahedrons. The most accurate geometry description has been obtained with the WC1LYP and PBE (n = 6) hybrid functionals, while the B3LYP calculation provides the best agreement between the recorded infrared and Raman spectra and their computed counterparts. Assignments of most of the observed bands to vibrational modes are given. The comparison between calculated and experimental frequencies shows a general good agreement for the spectra below 6...

Crystal structure and optical properties of germanates Ln2Ca(GeO3)4 (Ln = Gd, Ho, Er, Yb, Y)

This paper reports on the results of structural and optical investigations of a new class of layered compounds Ln2Ga(GeO3)4 (Ln = Gd, Ho, Er, Yb, Y), which are promising for the use in photonics as converters of laser radiation.

Synthesis, crystal structure, and luminescence properties of CaY2Ge3O10:Ln3+, Ln = Eu, Tb

The crystal structure and luminescence properties of CaY2Ge3O10:Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Tb) germanates synthesized via a conventional solid-state reaction and an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid complexing process are studied. The CaY2 − xLnxGe3O10 (Ln = Eu, Tb; x = 0–1.0, 2.0; Δx = 0.1) solid solutions have a monoclinic structure (space group P21/c, Z = 4), in which dopant ions occupy three nonequivalent noncentrosymmetric sites with different Ca2+/Ln3+ ratios. The effect of the synthesis methods, dopant concentrations, and excitation wavelengths on the luminescence properties of the compounds obtained is determined.

Nd3 +, Ho3 +-codoped garnet-related Li7La3Hf2O12 phosphor with NIR luminescence

Simultaneous emission lines around 1.05μm, 1.3μm, 1.8μm, 2.1μm and 2.7μm have been observed in Li7La3-xNdxHf2O12:Ho3+ (x=0.00-0.15) under 808nm laser diode excitation. Near-infrared luminescence due to holmium ions with residual concentration in the Li7La3Hf2O12 host has been studied. The intensity of 2.1 and 2.7μm lines associated with 5I7→5I8 and 5I6→5I7 transitions in Ho3+ depends on the neodymium codopant concentration. This result indicates that Nd3+ ions can be potentially used as sensitizers for Ho3+ ions to stimulate the intense near-infrared emission in this system. Possible energy transfer mechanisms between lanthanide ions have been briefly discussed.

Synthesis and structural study of a new group of trigermanates, CaRE2Ge3O10 (RE = La–Yb)

A new series of germanates CaRE2Ge3O10 (RE = Y, La–Yb) has been prepared using an EDTA-assisted route. Rietveld refinement of room temperature powder X-ray diffraction patterns shows that these compounds crystallize in the monoclinic system (S.G. P21/c, Z = 4) and have two morphotropic transitions. The calcium and rare earth atoms are distributed among three nonequivalent sites and form layers along the [0 0 1] direction connected into the framework through [Ge3O10]. The morphotropic transitions are accompanied by changes in the site occupancy factors of metal cations and by variation in the first and second coordination spheres of Ca2+/RE3+.

Synthesis and structure of quasi-one-dimensional zinc oxide doped with manganese

Nanotubes of manganese-doped zinc oxide Zn1 − xMnxO (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) were synthesized by heating the Zn1 − xMnx(HCOO)(OCH2CH2O)1/2 precursor in air at 500°C. The precursor with extended crystals was synthesized by a solvothermal method based on heat treatment of a mixture of Zn1 − xMnx(HCOO)2 · 2H2O with an ethylene glycol excess at 100–130°C. The tubular morphology of Zn1 − xMnxO particles was identified by transmission electron microscopy. Tubular quasi-one-dimensional particles were shown to have a nanodispersed polycrystalline structure, the size of separate crystallites being from 5 to 20 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested that the manganese distribution on the outer surface layer of Zn1 − xMnxO nanotubes is nonuniform.