Samuel Liu

Investigating the order-disorder phase transition in Nd2-xYxZr2O7via diffraction and spectroscopy.

The pyrochlore-defect fluorite phase transition in the mixed-metal zirconate Nd2-xYxZr2O7 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) solid solution was investigated using synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction, as well as X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Diffraction analysis revealed a two-phase region between 1.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.2. In the pyrochlore phase, Zr L3-edge XANES analysis demonstrated a gradual change in the local coordination environment of the B site with increasing Y content that was consistent with an increase in disorder. Although Y L3-edge XANES analysis suggested that the Y cations remained in an ordered coordination environment in the pyrochlore phase, disorder did gradually increase once the fluorite phase formed. It was found that Y cations prefer an ordered coordination environment near the phase boundary whereas Zr cations prefer a disordered coordination environment.

Synthesis and Characterization of the Crystal and Magnetic Structures and Properties of the Hydroxyfluorides Fe(OH)F and Co(OH)F

The title compounds were synthesized by a hydrothermal route from a 1:1 molar ratio of lithium fluoride and transition-metal acetate in an excess of water. The crystal structures were determined using a combination of powder and/or single-crystal X-ray and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) measurements. The magnetic structure and properties of Co(OH)F were characterized by magnetic susceptibility and low-temperature NPD measurements. M(OH)F (M = Fe and Co) crystallizes with structures related to diaspore-type α-AlOOH, with the Pnma space group, Z = 4, a = 10.471(3) Å, b = 3.2059(10) Å, and c = 4.6977(14) Å and a = 10.2753(3) Å, b = 3.11813(7) Å, and c = 4.68437(14) Å for the iron and cobalt phases, respectively. The structures consist of double chains of edge-sharing M(F,O)6 octahedra running along the b axis. These infinite chains share corners and give rise to channels. The protons are located in the channels and form O-H···F bent hydrogen bonds. The magnetic susceptibility indicates an antiferromagnetic ordering at ∼40 K, and the NPD measurements at 3 K show that the ferromagnetic rutile-type chains with spins parallel to the short b axis are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other, similarly to the magnetic structure of goethite α-FeOOH.

Anion Disorder in Lanthanoid Zirconates Gd2–xTbxZr2O7

The pyrochlore-defect fluorite order-disorder transition has been studied for a series of oxides of the type Gd(2-x)Tb(x)Zr2O7 by a combination of diffraction and spectroscopy techniques. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction data suggest an abrupt transition from the coexistence of pyrochlore and defect fluorite phases to a single defect fluorite phase with increasing Tb content. However neutron diffraction data, obtained at λ ≈ 0.497 Å for all Gd-containing samples to minimize absorption, not only provide evidence for independent ordering of the anion and cation sublattices but also suggest that the disorder transition across the pyrochlore-defect fluorite boundary of Ln2Zr2O7 is rather gradual. Such disorder was also evident in X-ray absorption measurements at the Zr L3-edge, which showed a gradual increase in the effective coordination number of the Zr from near 6-coordinate in the pyrochlore rich samples to near 7-coordinate in the Tb rich defect fluorites. These results indicate the presence of ordered domains throughout the defect fluorite region, and demonstrate the gradual nature of the order-disorder transition across the Gd(2-x)Tb(x)Zr2O7 series.

Key Role of Bismuth in the Magnetoelastic Transitions of Ba3BiIr2O9 and Ba3BiRu2O9 As Revealed by Chemical Doping

The key role played by bismuth in an average intermediate oxidation state in the magnetoelastic spin-gap compounds Ba3BiRu2O9 and Ba3BiIr2O9 has been confirmed by systematically replacing bismuth with La(3+) and Ce(4+). Through a combination of powder diffraction (neutron and synchrotron), X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetic properties measurements, we show that Ru/Ir cations in Ba3BiRu2O9 and Ba3BiIr2O9 have oxidation states between +4 and +4.5, suggesting that Bi cations exist in an unusual average oxidation state intermediate between the conventional +3 and +5 states (which is confirmed by the Bi L3-edge spectrum of Ba3BiRu2O9). Precise measurements of lattice parameters from synchrotron diffraction are consistent with the presence of intermediate oxidation state bismuth cations throughout the doping ranges. We find that relatively small amounts of doping (∼10 at%) on the bismuth site suppress and then completely eliminate the sharp structural and magnetic transitions observed in pure Ba3BiRu2O9 and Ba3BiIr2O9, strongly suggesting that the unstable electronic state of bismuth plays a critical role in the behavior of these materials.

Impact of Cu Doping on the Structure and Electronic Properties of LaCr1–yCuyO3

Oxides of the type LaCr(1-y)Cu(y)O3 have been prepared using solid-state methods and their crystal structures refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. The solubility limit of Cu was found to be around y = 0.2, and such oxides are orthorhombic in space group Pbnm. X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements at the Cr and Cu L-edges demonstrated that the Cr remains trivalent upon Cu doping, with the Cu being present as Cu(III). The oxides are found to be antiferromagnets, and the Néel temperature, TN, decreases as the Cu content is increased. The crystal and magnetic structures of one example La(Cr0.85Cu0.15)O3 have been investigated between 3 and 350 K by neutron powder diffraction. The samples are semiconductors.

Synthesis and characterization of the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the hydroxyfluoride MnF2-x(OH)x (x ∼ 0.8)

The new compound MnF(2-x)(OH)x (x ~ 0.8) was synthesized by a hydrothermal route from a 1 : 1 molar ratio of lithium fluoride and manganese acetate in an excess of water. The crystal structure was determined using the combination of single crystal X-ray and neutron powder diffraction measurements. The magnetic properties of the title compound were characterized by magnetic susceptibility and low-temperature neutron powder diffraction measurements. MnF(2-x)(OH)x (x ~ 0.8) crystallizes with orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnn2 (no. 34), a = 4.7127(18), b = 5.203(2), c = 3.2439(13) Å, V = 79.54(5) Å(3) and Z = 2. The crystal structure is a distorted rutile-type with [Mn(F,O)4] infinite edge-sharing chains along the c-direction. The protons are located in the channels and form O-HF bent hydrogen bonds. The magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic ordering at ~70 K and the neutron powder diffraction measurements at 3 K show that the ferromagnetic chains with spins parallel to the c-axis are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other, similarly to the magnetic structure of tetragonal rutile-type MnF2 with isoelectronic Mn(2+). MnF(2-x)(OH)x (x ~ 0.8) is expected to be of great interest as a positive electrode for Li cells if the protons could be exchanged for lithium.

Perovskites in low dimensional multi-layer structure types

This study introduces examples of structure property relationships within the multi-layered Sillen-Aurivillius family (shown in Figure) and aims to investigate the effect of chemical doping and lattice matching effects. The first example involves doping 1/3 of the n = 3 ferroelectric perovskite layers with magnetic transition metal cations in Bi5PbTi3O14Cl [1] with charge balancing by removing Pb2+ for Bi3+. A statistical 1:2 distribution of M3+ and Ti4+ across all three perovskite layers was found in Bi6Ti2MO14Cl, M = Cr3+, Mn3+, Fe3+, resulting in highly strained structures (enhancing the ferroelectricity compared to Bi5PbTi3O14Cl) and pronounced spin-glass behavior below Tirr(0) = 4.46 K. Ferroelectric transitions were observed at high temperature for each of the new compounds. Ferroelectric properties were also measured on Bi6Ti2FeO14Cl using piezoresponse force microscopy showing hysteretic phase behavior. A new n = 2 Sillen-Aurivillius compound Bi3Sr2Nb2O11Br, based on Bi3Pb2Nb2O11Cl [2], was synthesized by simultaneously replacing Pb2+ with Sr2+ and Cl− with Br−. Inter-layer mismatch prevented the formation of Bi3Sr2Nb2O11Cl and Bi3Pb2Nb2O11Br. Sr2+ doping reduces the impact of the stereochemically active 6s2 lone pair found on Pb2+ and Bi3+, resulting in a stacking contraction in the lattice parameters by 1.22 % and an expansion of the a-b plane by 0.25 %, improving inter-layer compatibility with Br−. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure spectra analysis shows that the ferroelectric distortion of the B-site cation is less apparent in Bi3Sr2Nb2O11Br compared to Bi3Pb2Nb2O11Cl. Variable-temperature neutron diffraction data show no evidence for a ferroelectric distortion.

Metal oxide materials for high temperature CO2 sorption studies

In recent years, a number of novel ceramic oxide materials have emerged that are capable of absorbing CO2 at high temperatures (>500C) while remaining stable over a large number of cycles and a wide range of temperatures [1]. The most promising are been considered for carbon capture applications - specifically, for use in combustion chambers and the smoke stacks of power plants where combustion gases which contain primarily a mixture of CO2 and N2 at high temperature. Compared to other CO2 sequestration technologies, these ceramics have some advantages (eg. chemisorption at high temperatures) and disadvantages (eg. limited kinetics over time) [3]. Examples of oxides already known to show significant CO2 absorption include Li5AlO4, Li6Zr2O7, Na2ZrO3 and Ba4Sb2O9. The phase formations and structural evolution of these metal oxides have been studied under environmental conditions mimicing those found in combustion chambers and power plants, over the temperature range 873-1173 K. CO2 absorption by these materials is believed to proceed through a layering effect of the sorbent material, explained through a core-shell model (see figure). Each phase is represented as a layer covering a particle, with the outermost layer exposed and allowed to react with the environment. Detailed studies into the mechanism of CO2 absorption and the material layers will shed more information that can be used to fine tune the materials to increase their CO2 absorption capacity. Previous work has focused on the identification of phases ex situ and studies of their practical absorption capacity and kinetics. The new work we will present here uses a combination of a x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray and neutron diffraction, to understand both how the sorption process works and how the structural evolution of the phases affects the CO2 sorption of the materials over time in-situ.