O. Gomis

New polymorph of InVO4: A high-pressure structure with six-coordinated vanadium

A new wolframite-type polymorph of InVO4 is identified under compression near 7 GPa by in situ high-pressure (HP) X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic investigations on the stable orthorhombic InVO4. The structural transition is accompanied by a large volume collapse (ΔV/V = -14%) and a drastic increase in bulk modulus (from 69 to 168 GPa). Both techniques also show the existence of a third phase coexisting with the low- and high-pressure phases in a limited pressure range close to the transition pressure. XRD studies revealed a highly anisotropic compression in orthorhombic InVO4. In addition, the compressibility becomes nonlinear in the HP polymorph. The volume collapse in the lattice is related to an increase of the polyhedral coordination around the vanadium atoms. The transformation is not fully reversible. The drastic change in the polyhedral arrangement observed at the transition is indicative of a reconstructive phase transformation. The HP phase here found is the only modification of InVO4 reported to date with 6-fold coordinated vanadium atoms. Finally, Raman frequencies and pressure coefficients in the low- and high-pressure phases of InVO4 are reported.

High-pressure optical and vibrational properties of CdGa2Se4: Order-disorder processes in adamantine compounds

High-pressure optical absorption and Raman scattering measurements have been performed in defect chalcopyrite (DC) CdGa2Se4 up to 22 GPa during two pressure cycles to investigate the pressure-induced order-disorder phase transitions taking place in this ordered-vacancy compound. Our measurements reveal that on decreasing pressure from 22 GPa, the sample does not revert to the initial phase but likely to a disordered zinc blende (DZ) structure the direct bandgap and Raman-active modes of which have been measured during a second upstroke. Our measurements have been complemented with electronic structure and lattice dynamical ab initio calculations. Lattice dynamical calculations have helped us to discuss and assign the symmetries of the Raman modes of the DC phase. Additionally, our electronic band structure calculations have helped us in discussing the order-disorder effects taking place above 6–8 GPa during the first upstroke.

High-pressure Raman spectroscopy and lattice-dynamics calculations on scintillating MgWO4: Comparison with isomorphic compounds

Research was financed by the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia (MEC) under Grants No. MAT2010-21270-C04-01/02/04, and No. CSD-2007-00045. J. R.-F. thanks the MEC for support through the FPI program, as well as the SPP1236 central facility in Frankfurt for its use. F. J. M. acknowledges support from Vicerrectorado de Investigacion y Desarrollo de la Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) (Grant No. UPV2010-0096). A. M. and P. R.-H. acknowledge the supercomputer time provided by the Red Espanola de Supercomputacion. A. F. appreciates support from the German Research Foundation (Grant No. FR2491/2-1).

High-pressure lattice dynamical study of bulk and nanocrystalline In2O3

The effect of pressure on the vibrational properties of bulk and nanocrystalline powders of cubic bixbyite-type In2O3 has been investigated at room temperature by means of Raman spectroscopy up to 31.6 and 30 GPa, respectively. We have been able to follow the pressure dependence of up to sixteen and seven Raman modes in bulk and nanocrystalline cubic In2O3, respectively. The experimental frequencies and pressure coefficients of the Raman-active modes of bulk cubic In2O3 at ambient pressure are in good agreement with those predicted by our theoretical ab initio calculations. Furthermore, a comparison of our experimental data with our calculations for the Raman modes in rhombohedral corundum and orthorhombic Rh2O3-II structures and with already reported Raman modes of rhombohedral corundum-type In2O3 at room pressure indicate that Raman scattering measurements provide no experimental evidence of the cubic to rhombohedral or cubic to orthorhombic phase transitions either in bulk material or in nanocrystals u...

Exploring the high-pressure behavior of the three known polymorphs of BiPO4: Discovery of a new polymorph

We have studied the structural behavior of bismuth phosphate under compression. We performed x-ray powder diffraction measurements up to 31.5 GPa and ab initio calculations. Experiments were carried out on different polymorphs; trigonal (phase I) and monoclinic (phases II and III). Phases I and III, at low pressure (0.2-0.8 GPa), transform into phase II, which has a monazite-type structure. At room temperature, this polymorph is stable up to 31.5 GPa. Calculations support these findings and predict the occurrence of an additional transition from the monoclinic monazite-type to a tetragonal scheelite-type structure (phase IV). This transition was experimentally found after the simultaneous application of pressure (28 GPa) and temperature (1500 K), suggesting that at room temperature the transition might by hindered by kinetic barriers. Calculations also predict an additional phase transition at 52 GPa, which exceeds the maximum pressure achieved in the experiments. This transition is from phase IV to an orthorhombic barite-type structure (phase V). We also studied the axial and bulk compressibility of BiPO4. Room-temperature pressure-volume equations of state are reported. BiPO4 was found to be more compressible than isomorphic rare-earth phosphates. The discovered phase IV was determined to be the less compressible polymorph of BiPO4. On the other hand, the theoretically predicted phase V has a bulk modulus comparable with that of monazite-type BiPO4. Finally, the isothermal compressibility tensor for the monazite-type structure is reported at 2.4 GPa showing that the direction of maximum compressibility is in the (010) plane at approximately 15 (21) degrees to the a axis for the case of our experimental (theoretical) study.

High-pressure study of the structural and elastic properties of defect-chalcopyrite HgGa2Se4

In this work, we focus on the study of the structural and elastic properties of mercury digallium selenide (HgGa2Se4) which belongs to the family of AB2X4 ordered-vacancy compounds with tetragonal defect chalcopyrite structure. We have carried out high-pressure x-ray diffraction measurements up to 13.2 GPa. Our measurements have been complemented and compared with total-energy ab initio calculations. The equation of state and the axial compressibilities for the low-pressure phase of HgGa2Se4 have been experimentally and theoretically determined and compared to other related ordered-vacancy compounds. The theoretical cation-anion and vacancy-anion distances in HgGa2Se4 have been determined. The internal distance compressibility in HgGa2Se4 has been compared with those that occur in binary HgSe and e−GaSe compounds. It has been found that the Hg-Se and Ga-Se bonds behave in a similar way in the three compounds. It has also been found that bulk compressibility of the compounds decreases following the sequenc...

Synthesis of a novel zeolite through a pressure-induced reconstructive phase transition process.

The first pressure-induced solid-phase synthesis of a zeolite has been found through compression of a common zeolite, ITQ-29 (see scheme, Si yellow, O red). The new microporous structure, ITQ-50, has a unique structure and improved performance for propene/propane separation with respect the parent material ITQ-29.

Thermally activated cation ordering in ZnGa2Se4 single crystals studied by Raman scattering, optical absorption, and ab initio calculations

Order-disorder phase transitions induced by thermal annealing have been studied in the ordered-vacancy compound ZnGa2Se4 by means of Raman scattering and optical absorption measurements. The partially disordered as-grown sample with tetragonal defect stannite (DS) structure and I4¯2m space group has been subjected to controlled heating and cooling cycles. In situ Raman scattering measurements carried out during the whole annealing cycle show that annealing the sample to 400 °C results in a cation ordering in the sample, leading to the crystallization of the ordered tetragonal defect chalcopyrite (DC) structure with I4¯ space group. On decreasing temperature the ordered cation scheme of the DC phase can be retained at ambient conditions. The symmetry of the Raman-active modes in both DS and DC phases is discussed and the similarities and differences between the Raman spectra of the two phases emphasized. The ordered structure of annealed samples is confirmed by optical absorption measurements and ab initio calculations, that show that the direct bandgap of DC-ZnGa2Se4 is larger than that of DS-ZnGa2Se4.

Vibrational study of HgGa2S4 under high pressure

In this work, we report on high-pressure Raman scattering measurements in mercury digallium sulfide (HgGa2S4) with defect chalcopyrite structure that have been complemented with lattice dynamics ab initio calculations. Our measurements evidence that this semiconductor exhibits a pressure-induced phase transition from the completely ordered defect chalcopyrite structure to a partially disordered defect stannite structure above 18 GPa which is prior to the transition to the completely disordered rocksalt phase above 23 GPa. Furthermore, a completely disordered zincblende phase is observed below 5 GPa after decreasing pressure from 25 GPa. The disordered zincblende phase undergoes a reversible pressure-induced phase transition to the disordered rocksalt phase above 18 GPa. The sequence of phase transitions here reported for HgGa2S4 evidence the existence of an intermediate phase with partial cation-vacancy disorder between the ordered defect chalcopyrite and the disordered rocksalt phases and the irreversibi...

New high-pressure phase and equation of state of Ce2Zr2O8

In this paper we report a new high-pressure rhombohedral phase of Ce2Zr2O8 observed in high-pressure angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies up to nearly 12 GPa. The ambient-pressure cubic phase of Ce2Zr2O8 transforms to a rhombohedral structure beyond 5 GPa with a feeble distortion in the lattice. The pressure evolution of the unit-cell volume showed a change in compressibility above 5 GPa. The unit-cell parameters of the high-pressure rhombohedral phase at 12.1 GPa are ah = 14.6791(3) A, ch = 17.9421(5) A, and V = 3348.1(1) A3. The structure relations between the parent cubic (P213) and rhombohedral (P32) phases were obtained via group-subgroup relations. All the Raman modes of the cubic phase showed linear evolution with pressure, with the hardest one at 197 cm−1. Some Raman modes of the high-pressure phase have a non-linear evolution with pressure, and softening of one low-frequency mode with pressure is found. The compressibility, equation of state, and pressure coefficients...In this paper we report a new high-pressure rhombohedral phase of Ce{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 8} observed in high-pressure angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies up to nearly 12 GPa. The ambient-pressure cubic phase of Ce{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 8} transforms to a rhombohedral structure beyond 5 GPa with a feeble distortion in the lattice. The pressure evolution of the unit-cell volume showed a change in compressibility above 5 GPa. The unit-cell parameters of the high-pressure rhombohedral phase at 12.1 GPa are a{sub h} = 14.6791(3) {angstrom}, c{sub h} = 17.9421(5) {angstrom}, and V = 3348.1(1) {angstrom}{sup 3}. The structure relations between the parent cubic (P2{sub 1}3) and rhombohedral (P3{sub 2}) phases were obtained via group-subgroup relations. All the Raman modes of the cubic phase showed linear evolution with pressure, with the hardest one at 197 cm{sup -1}. Some Raman modes of the high-pressure phase have a non-linear evolution with pressure, and softening of one low-frequency mode with pressure is found. The compressibility, equation of state, and pressure coefficients of Raman modes of Ce{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 8} are also reported.