Electronic structure and properties of isolectronically substituted compounds Y1Ba2−m M m Cu3O7 and Y1Ba2−m M m Cu4O8 (M=Be,Mg, Ca,Sr, Ba,Ra)

According to cluster calculations, the electronic structures of compounds based on Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O₇ and Y₁Ba₂Cu₄O₈ with isoelectronically substituted barium have some qualitative distinctions. These compounds behave differently upon barium substitution by other elements due to differences in the character of their highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals. Substitution of barium by radium is expected to lead to an increase in oxygen stability without a significant decrease in the critical temperature of superconduction transition T_s. In order to raise T_s, it is of interest to study the systems YBa_2−m(Be or Mg)_mCu₃O_x and YBa_2−m(Ca, Sr)_mCu₃O_x. On partial substitution of barium by calcium in YBa₂Cu₄O₈, the mechanism of T_s elevation may involve contraction of the forbidden band due to oxygen sublattice distortions in the vicinity of Ba centers. D. I. Mendeleev Russian Chemical Engineering University, Novomoskovsk Branch. Translated fromZhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 24–31, March–April, 1994. Translated by O. Kharlamova     

Enthalpies of formation of some phases present in the Y−Ba−Cu−O system by solution calorimetry

Enthalpies of some of the phases in the Y–Ba–Cu–O system were determined by solution calorimetry using a Calvet microcalorimeter. The standard enthalpies of formation for the phases were found to be YBa₂Cu₃O_6.60, –2627.9; YBa₂Cu₃O_6.77, –2641.8; YBa₂Cu₃O_6.90, –2652.0; YBa₂Cu₃O_6.99, –2659.3; Y₂Cu₂O₅, –2198.6; Y₂BaCuO₅, –2656.4; BaCuO_2.33, –788.6; and BaCuO_2.42, –796.2 kJ-mol^–1.     

Sol-Gel Synthesis Route for the Preparation of Y(Ba1−x Sr x )2Cu4O8 Superconducting Oxides

Superconducting oxide ceramics of composition Y(Ba_1–x Sr _x )₂Cu₄O₈ (x = 0.00, 0.10, and 0.20) have been prepared by a simple sol-gel method based on the complexation of metal ions in aqueous medium, by chelating acetate and tartarate ligands. Homogeneous sols were obtained by complexing copper ions with tartaric acid, which prevented the flocculation of copper acetate during the gelation process. Single-phase bulk samples were obtained after firing the mixed-metal polymeric acetate-tartarate precursor to 835°C for 70 h in flowing oxygen atmosphere. Thermal decomposition of the gels was studied by thermogravimetry. Effect of strontium substitution on the properties of the compounds was studied by X-ray powder diffraction, electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and resistivity measurements. These data indicate that nearly monophasic Y(Ba_1–x Sr _x )₂Cu₄O₈ superconducting samples were obtained for x < 0.30. The Sr-doping in the YBa₂Cu₄O₈ (Y-124) phase shows a pronounced effect on the superconducting properties enhancing the critical temperature from 78 K (for the non-substituted sample) to 88 K (for Y(Ba_1–x Sr _x )₂Cu₄O₈).     

Ba2Cu3O5+δ as an intermediate phase during the synthesis of YBa2Cu4O8

We propose a reaction model for the synthesis of YBa₂Cu₄O₈ under normal pressure conditions, which contains 4 partial reaction steps. In a first step bariumnitrate and copperoxide react to Ba₂Cu₃O_5+δ. This substance will be formed for each mixtures Ba:Cu=2∶3...3∶2. The following two partial reaction steps are connected to Ba₂Cu₃O_5+δ, which reacts with Y₂O₃ and CuO to YBa₂Cu₄O₈ or decomposes to BaCuO₂ and CuO. In a last step parts of BaCuO₂ reacts with Y₂O₃ and CuO to YBa₂Cu₄O₈.     

Electronic structures of superconductors YBa2Cu3−x M x O y (M=Sn,Ni)

Based on the EHMO approach, the energy band structures for superconductors YBa₂Cu_3–x Sn _x O _y (y>7) and YBa₂Cu_3–x Ni _x O_y (y<7) were calulated in the present paper. The influence of the cation doping at the Cu site in the unit cell and the oxygen content on their electronic structures was studied. The results showed that the cation doping at the Cu site resulted in the great decreases in the bandwidths of the broad anisotropic Cu-O bands and the densities of states. In YBa₂Cu_3–x Sn _x O _y , however, these decreases are compensated by the increase in the oxygen content caused by the Sn-doping, which results in a small change in the total densities of states. For YBa₂Cu_3–x Ni _x O _y , the effect of the doping on its electronic structures in dominant. The Ni-doping, therefore, results in a great change in the electronic structures. In addition, the study on the projected densities of states of the Ni-doped system revealed that the 2D Cu-O planes in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system played a dominant role in superconductivity.     

Estimation of average heat capacities of condensed phase transformation products in the Y−Ba−Cu−O system

A method of calculation of average heat capacities of phase transformation products of complex oxides is suggested. The method takes into account the physical state of products and the increase in the heat capacities of products due to the change of entropy at a phase transformation. Average heat capacities of products formed in a congruous melting of compounds (YCuO₂ and Y₄Ba₃O₉), in an incongruous melting of compounds (Y₂Cu₂O₅, BaCuO₂, BaCu₂O₂, Y₂BaCuO₅, YBa₂Cu₃O₇, YBa₂Cu₃O₆) and in a decomposition in a crystalline state of compounds (Y₂BaO₄, Y₂Ba₂O₅, Y₂Ba₄O₇, Ba₂CuO₃, Ba₃Cu₅O₈, YBa₂Cu_3.5O_7.5, YBa₂Cu₄O₈, YBa₂Cu₅O₉) was estimated by using three methods.     

SC-MEH-MO calculations on high Tc superconductors. 1: The YBa2Cu8O cluster in YBa2Cu3O7

SC-MEH-MO calculations have been carried out on select clusters of the YBa₂Cu₃O₇ lattice structure. The results of an earlier computation on small CuO clusters are presented for comparison with the finding obtained on a YBa₂Cu₈O₂₆⁺ extended cluster. In the latter, the antiferromagnetic coupling of singularly occupied Cu and O levels is analyzed.     

Estimation of melting (decomposition) heat of some compounds in the Y−Ba−Cu−O system

A thermodynamical method for the estimation of decomposition heat in a crystal state, incongrous and congruous melting of compounds with the use of temperature dependencies of total entropies of compounds was suggested. Entropies and heats of phase transformation of YBa₂Cu₃O₆, YBa₂Cu₃O₇, YBa₂Cu_3.5O_7.5, YBa₂Cu₄O₈, YBa₂Cu₅O₉, YBa₄Cu₃O_8.5, Y₂BaO₄, Y₂Ba₂O₅, Y₂Ba₄O₇, Y₄Ba₃O₉, YCuO₂, Y₂Cu₂O₅, Y₂BaCu₂O₅, Ba₂CuO₃, BaCuO₂, BaCu₂O₂, Ba₃Cu₅O₈ were calculated. Data, obtained by the authors earlier, are discussed.     

The decomposition of the oxalate precursor and the stability and reduction of the YBa2Cu4O8 superconductor studied by TG coupled with FTIR and by XRD

The 124 superconductor YBa₂Cu₄O₈ was prepared from the oxalate precursor Y₂(C₂O₄)₃. ·4BaC₂O₄·8CuC₂O₄·xH₂O at one atmosphere oxygen pressure. In O₂ the precursor decomposes in one step at 300°C and more gradually (300°–600°C) in Ar. The stability of the superconductor is strongly dependent on the gas atmosphere: in O₂ and in air there is no significant weight change as long as the temperature does not exceed 800°C, whereas in a 1% O₂-99%N₂ mixture decomposition starts at about 670°C with the formation of CuO and YBa₂Cu₃O_x withx<7. The reduction of YBa₂Cu₄O₈ in a 5% H₂-95% Ar mixture takes place in at least four major steps with formation of products such as Y₂O₃, BaO, Cu₂O, Cu, BaY₂O₄ and Ba₄Y₂O₇.     

Influence of partial substitution of zinc for copper on electronic structures of YBa2Cu3O y

Summary By use of an approximate band-structure treatment based on the EHMO approach, the energy band structures for the Zn-doped superconductor YBa₂Cu_3–x Zn _x O _y were calculated in the present paper and the influence of partial substitution of zinc for copper on the electronic structures for orthorhombic YBa₂Cu₃O_y was studied. From analysis of the band structures and the densities of states for YBa₂Cu_3–x Zn _x O _y , it was demonstrated that the 2D Cu-O planes in the Y-Ba-Cu-O superconducting system have a direct and dominant influence on superconductivity, whereas the role of the 1D Cu-O ribbons and the O(4) atoms is also of some importance.     

Crystal and molecular structures of heteroligand bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)copper(II) complexes with 3-imidazoline nitroxyl radicals,Cu(C5HF6O2)2:L=1:1 (L1=C13H18N3O,L2=C8H15N2O)

Crystal structures were determined for two new derivatives of heteroligand complexes of Cu(C₅HF₆O₂)₂ with nitroxyl radicals derived from 3-imidazoline: Cu(C₅HF₆O₂)₂(C₁₃H₁₈N₃O) (I) and Cu(C₅HF₆O₂)₂(C₈H₁₅N₂O) (II). The unit cell parameters for I are as follows: a=10.555(3), b=15.505(5), c=18.509(6) Å, V = 3029(1) ų, Z=4, d_calc=1.57 g/cm³, space group P2₁2₁2₁. The unit cell parameters for II are as follows: a=16.018(3), b=15.886(3), c=19.665(4) Å, V = 5004(1)ų, Z=8, d_calc=1.68 g/cm³, d_exp=1.68 g/cm³, space group P2₁2₁2₁. The structure of I is molecular. The coordination of the copper ion is a trigonal bipyramid formed by two oxygen atoms of the (hfac) ions and the nitrogen atom of the imidazoline heterocycle in the equatorial plane [Cu–O, 1.91(7), 2.242(7) Å, Cu–N, 2.010(7) Å] and the other oxygen atoms of the (hfac) anion in the axial positions [Cu–O, 1.940(6), 1.963(6) Å]. Complex II is polymeric. The two crystallographically independent Cu(hfac)₂ fragments are linked in a chain by means of two L² ligands. The coordination of the copper ions is a square bipyramid, whose equatorial plane is formed by the oxygen atoms of the (hfac) anion [Cu–O, 1.89(1)–2.03(1) Å]. The axial positions are occupied by nitrogen atoms [Cu–N, 2.52(1), 2.40(1) Å] and an oxygen atom of the NO fragment [Cu–O, 2.96(1), 2.67(1) Å] of different L² ligands. The ...Cu(hfac)₂–L²–Cu(hfac)₂–L₂... chains in the unit cell are located at two levels (x1/4 and 3/4).Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 126–133, March–April, 1993.     

Effect of carbonate incorporation on the structural and superconducting properties of the double chain compound Y2Ba4Cu7O15−x

Structural investigations on powder samples of Y₂Ba₄Cu₇O_15–x with different carbonate content have been performed. Powder x-ray Rietveld refinements showed the remarkable influence of carbonate incorporation on the lattice parameters. Most important is the decrease of T_c with increasing carbonate content. We assign these effects to an incorporation of the carbonate ion into the crystal lattice, copper vacancies at the Cu(1) position and a possible misorientation of the copper oxygen single chains. No change of the structure (e. g. superstructure) could be found.     

Chemical bonding in high-temperature YBa2Cu3O7 superconductors

Calculations for clusters serving as models for the electronic structure of the copper, barium, and oxygen sites in high-temperature YBa₂Cu₃O₇ superconductors were carried out in the framework of the discrete variation method. An analysis of the bond orders in such compounds was carried out using the overlap occupancies of various AO of the metal and oxygen atoms. Values were obtained for AO occupancies and effective charges on the atoms in the clusters.Institute of Chemistry, Urals Branch, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 12–16, September–October, 1989.     

Thermal analysis of Y1−xCaxBa2Cu3O7−y

TG and DTA analysis of Y_1?xCa_xBa₂Cu₃O_7?y suggests that the stability of the 123 phase increases with increasing Ca contents. The O(1) in the Cu(1)-O chain is unstable but O(2) and O(3) in Cu(2)-O planes are very stable. There are hardly any oxygen vacancies in the Cu(2)-O plane. The replacement of Y by Ca does not make oxygen vacancies in Cu(2)-O planes but leads to an increase in the oxidation number of copper in Cu(2)-O planes.     

Positron annihilation studies in highT c superconductor YBa2Cu3Cd x O y (x=0, 0.05)

Positron lifetime and Doppler broadening of the annihilation line measurements were performed in highT _c superconducting samples YBa₂Cu₃Cd _x O _y ,x=0, 0.05 and 6.9<y<7, as a function of temperature in the region of 14–300 K. It was found that the positron lifetime and theS parameter values are lower in the Cd doped sample than those in the undoped one. It was also observed that the positron annihilation parameters show similar temperature dependence for the undoped and Cd doped samples. We conclude that the Cd doping in highT _c superconductor YBa₂Cu₃Cd _x O _y , 6.9<y<7 fills defects associated with oxygen vacancies probably in oxygen deficient regions which can trap positrons.     

Molybdenum phosphate glasses modified by Cu2O

Glasses in the system Cu₂O-P₂O₅-MoO₃ were prepared. The transformation temperature of glasses,T _g, ranges from 122 to 436°C and depends strongly on their composition.T _g values are mainly controlled by the oxygen-packing density. The structure of glasses was studied by infrared spectroscopy. The presence of various phosphate and molybdate units, from discrete monomeric to those with three-dimensional networks, has been observed. The electrical conductivity of prepared glasses depends mainly on Cu₂O content and varies from 10^–14–1cm^–1, for the glass free of Cu₂O, to 10^–6–1cm^–1, for glasses with compositions near of the binary Cu₂O-MoO₃ composition.This work was supported by grant No 1/731/94 of the Slovak Grant Agency for Science. The paper was presented on TERMANAL'94, XIII. International Conference on Thermal Analysis, October 1994, High Tatras, Slovakia.     

Comparative Mössbauer study of high Tc superconductors

¹⁵¹Eu,¹¹⁹Sn and⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to study high T_c superconductors. Mössbauer spectra of Sn substituted EuBa₂Cu₃O_7–y, YBa₂Cu₃O_7–y and TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y as well as of Fe Substituted TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y were compared. The Sn and Fe ions replace the regular Cu positions in the YBa₂Cu₃O_7–y and in TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y materials, fespectively, while the localization of tin atoms in both the¹¹⁹Sn doped EuBa₂Cu₃O_7–y and TlBaCaCuO_4.5+y superconductors is different from that of previous cases. Up to our knowledge, this is the first publication on a Mössbauer study of a Tl-containing superconductor.     

The effect of calcination conditions on the superconducting properties of Y−Ba−Cu−O powders

Calcination conditions of the precursor powders, i.e. temperature, type of atmosphere and duration, were determined with a view to obtain superconducting powders with the most advantageous physico-chemical properties. Investigated were powders in the Y?Ba?Cu?O system prepared by the sol-gel method. Thermogravimetric examinations of the powders have revealed that the decomposition kinetics of BaCO₃ determines the formation rate of the superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x (‘123’) phase. It follows from the decomposition kinetics of BaCO₃ that the process is the most intensive in argon, whereas in static air and oxygen it is the slowest. The phase composition analysis (XRD) and low-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements of the calcinated powders, confirm the above mentioned changes in the decomposition kinetics. The reaction of barium carbonate can be completed if the calcination process is conducted at the temperature of 850°C for 25 h, yielding easily sinterable powders for obtaining single-phase superconducting bulk samples with advantageous functional parameters.     

Ein alternativer Weg zur Darstellung von Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox,YBa2Cu3O7−δ, und YBa2Cu3−xMxO7−δ (M  Ni,Ag und x ≤ 33 Mol%)

An Alternative Method for Preparation of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₃O_x, YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ, and YBa₂Cu_3?xM_xO_7?δ (M ? Ni, Ag and x ≤ 33 Mol%) Oxidation of quenched melts of metals in a well defined argon/oxygen atmosphere has been found as an alternative method to prepare hight purity samples of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_x without Pb-stabilization. A special equipment for the oxidation of powder samples will be described. By our new method it is also possible to prepare YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ and derivatives of this compound, where Cu is substituted by high amounts of Ni or Ag.     

Chemical interactions in the systems BaCuO2-PbO and YBa2Cu3O7-PbO

Chemical interactions were found to occur in the systems BaCuO₂-PbO and YBa₂Cu₃O₇-PbO at 600–800C. The chemical peculiarities of these reactions are explained on the basis of redox transformations, with formation of the phase BaPbO₃.

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Zusammenfassung Bei 600–800C konnte im System BaCuO₂-PbO und YBa₂Cu₃O₇-PbO eine chemische Wechselwirkung festgestellt werden. Die chemische Besonderheit der Reaktionen wurde mit Hilfe von Redoxumformungen unter Bildung der Phase BaPbO₃ erklÄrt.