Regular domain structure in a lithium niobate crystal—Period stabilization

High stability of the period and homogeneity of a regular domain structure was attained in Nd: Mg: LiNbO₃ crystals grown from melt with an excess of lithium oxide by the Czochralski method along the normal to the close-packed $\{ 01\bar 12\} $ face.     

Direct density determination of low- and high-density glassy polyamorphs following a liquid–liquid phase transition in Y2O3–Al2O3 supercooled liquids

Evidence has been presented for a density-driven phase transition occurring between supercooled liquids in the system Y₂O₃–Al₂O₃. The high- and low-density liquids were quenched to metastably coexisting glasses. Chemical analysis showed the compositions of the two glasses to be identical, and it was inferred that they differed in their densities and entropies. The entropy difference has been verified by calorimetry. Here, we confirm that the chemical compositions of the glassy materials derived from the high- and low-temperature liquids are identical. We present a direct density determination of the two glasses using sink-float techniques. The measured densities are 3.72(3) g/cm³ for the glass derived from the high-temperature liquid (i.e., the high-density amorphous or HDA polyamorph), and 3.58(1) g/cm³ for the low-temperature (low-density, LDA) polyamorph.     

Three-dimensional visualization and characterization of morphology and internal microstructural features of primary silicon crystals in a cast Al–Si base alloy

Primary Si crystals are usually present in the cast microstructures of near-eutectic, eutectic, and hyper-eutectic Al–Si base alloys. Three-dimensional digital images of individual primary Si crystals present in a permanent mold cast unmodified Al-12 wt% Si-1 wt% Ni base alloy are reconstructed using a combination of montage serial sectioning and three-dimensional digital image processing techniques. Octahedral, prismatic, and plate-like three-dimensional morphologies of the primary Si crystals are present in the microstructure. Some of the primary Si crystals contain interior regions/islands of Al-alloy that are completely enclosed in the corresponding Si crystals indicating certain variations in the crystal growth velocities during the evolution of these crystals. The boundaries of these interior regions/islands are non-faceted smooth and curved indicating re-melting of the Al-rich islands and re-dissolution of some Si near these internal boundaries in the Al-alloy as a result of the heat generated by liquid-to-solid transformation of Si away from the islands.     

Morphology prediction of crystals grown in the presence of impurities and solvents — An evaluation of the state of the art

Computational methods enable to calculate relative face growth rates and crystal shape from structural information alone. Even if these models are sufficient for the calculation of the habit of a vapor grown crystal, most of them fail to correctly reproduce the habit of crystal growth from solution. In recent years, new approaches have been proposed based on the substitution of additive molecules in the crystal lattice or on the surface of the crystal. The new computer-based approaches provide a fundamental understanding of processes of crystal growth from solution. The number of methods proposed in morphology prediction is enormous. Herein, an overview of these methods and approaches is provided.     

α-Iminohydroxylamine-α-aminonitrone tautomerism: a 1∶1 mixture of two tautomeric forms in crystals of N-(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-N-phenyl-hydroxylamine

Crystals consisting of two distinct chemical entities, tautomers of each other, in exact 11 ratio, have been obtained and their structure determined by X-ray analysis. The crystals of C₉H₁₁N₃·C₉H₁₁N₃ are monoclinic,P2₁/c,a=15.674(3),b=17.085(3),c=13.758(3)Å, =90.78(2)°,Z=8. There are two hydroxylamine and two aminonitrone molecules in the asymmetric unit. Hydrogen bonds connect those molecules into chiral layers. Layers of opposite chirality alternate andthe crystal is centrosymmetric as a whole. Within those layers chains of tautomers joined by very strong O–H... O and strong N–H... N bonds can be recognized. Proton transfer along those chains with simultaneous rearrangement of -bonds within the molecules would result in interconversion of tautomers and would affect chirality of the layer.     

Viscoelastic Parameters of a Side-Chain Nematic Polymer: II—Analysis of NMR Results in Terms of the Anisotropic Dumbbell Model

The two viscoelastic parameters of a siloxane side-chain nematic polymer—twist viscosity coefficient, and static order parameter—deduced from the NMR study of Reference 1, are discussed in terms of the anisotropic dumbbell model of Brochard using structural information obtained by small angle neutron scattering. It is found that this model, originally developed for dilute solutions of flexible polymers in low molecular mass nematics, describes satisfactorily the data, supporting the idea that the backbone polymer chains are not entangled in the nematic melt. An average elastic constant is deduced. This constant is found to increase sharply as the nematic-smectic A phase is approached. The twist elastic constant is calculated using splay and bend elastic constant values of a very similar polymer. Some (possibly only apparent) difficulties associated with the dumbbell model are pointed out.     

Use of a fluorine-containing solvent in the synthesis of YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7 − δ</Subscript> single crystals

A laboratory technological procedure has been developed for the synthesis of high-temperature superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_{7 ? δ} single crystals (T _c ～ 90 K, ΔT _c ～ 1.0 K) up to 0.25 cm² in size from a nonstoichiometric fluorine-containing flux of (YO_1.5)(BaO)_{4 ? x}(BaF₂)_x(CuO)₁₀, where 2 ≥ x ≥ 0, using a combination of enhanced nucleation and directional crystallization by the Czochralski method. Studies using differential thermal analysis demonstrated that the addition of BaF₂ decreased the eutectic-crystallization temperature and increased the crystal-growth rate. The optimum concentration of BaF₂ in the starting melt composition was found (x = 0.2). The single-crystal surface was studied by atomic-force nanoscopy. The morphology of single crystals that have been synthesized from a melt of their own components differs substantially from that of crystals grown from a BaF₂-containing melt.     

Displacements in the cationic motif of nonstoichiometric fluorite phases Ba1 − x R x F2 + x as a result of the formation of {Ba8[R 6F68–69]} clusters: I. The Ba0.78Tm0.22F2.22 crystals

The displacements of Ba²⁺ cations in the cationic motif of Ba_0.78Tm_0.22F_2.22 crystals, which are representatives of nonstoichiometric fluorite phases Ba_{1 ? x} R _x F_{2 + x} , are proved for the first time with the use of precision investigations of the fine atomic structure. It is shown that the cation displacements, like the previously revealed displacements in the anionic motif, reflect the formation of {Ba₈[R ₆F_68–69]} superclusters of structural defects with nanometer linear sizes. The Ba ²⁺ cations are displaced from the fluorite crystallographic positions 4a (space group Fm $ \bar 3 The displacements of Ba²⁺ cations in the cationic motif of Ba_0.78Tm_0.22F_2.22 crystals, which are representatives of nonstoichiometric fluorite phases Ba_{1 − x} R _x F_{2 + x} , are proved for the first time with the use of precision investigations of the fine atomic structure. It is shown that the cation displacements, like the previously revealed displacements in the anionic motif, reflect the formation of {Ba₈[R ₆F_68–69]} superclusters of structural defects with nanometer linear sizes. The Ba ²⁺ cations are displaced from the fluorite crystallographic positions 4a (space group Fm m) to the positions 32f. The static nature of the cation displacements is confirmed by the fact that these displacements are retained at a temperature of 110 K. The correctness of the interpretation of the correlation between the cation displacements and the formation of superclusters of structural defects is supported by the coincidence of the intercationic distances determined in the disordered phase Ba_0.78Tm_0.22F_2.22 with those found in the previously studied ordered phases Ba₄ R ₃F₁₇ (R = Y, Yb). The model with splitting of cationic positions is appropriate for testing in structural investigations of crystals of the fluorite phases M _{1 − x} R _x F_{2 + x} at room temperature. Original Russian Text ? A.M. Golubev, L.P. Otroshchenko, V.N. Molchanov, B.P. Sobolev, 2008, published in Kristallografiya, 2008, Vol. 53, No. 6, pp. 1023–1030.     

Growth from gas cavities in a molten salt and properties of superconducting Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>CaCu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>8+δ</Subscript> single crystals

Perfect single crystals of the high-temperature superconductor Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ with the superconducting transition temperature T_C = 72–85 K (depending on the crystallization conditions) are obtained by the method of free growth in gas cavities formed in a KCl solution-melt. The specific features of the growth process are in the formation of an enclosed growth gas cavity in a (previously synthesized) blend of a specified phase composition dissolved in KCl and the free crystal growth in this cavity. The combination of growth and high-temperature annealing in the same process made it possible to obtain uniform (ΔT_C = 1.5 K) single crystals with stable superconducting properties. Annealing of the grown single crystals in oxygen or in air in the temperature range 400–850°C confirmed that the crystals with maximum values of T_C are optimally doped.     

X-ray imaging of structural defects in Si<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ge<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> single crystals using a white synchrotron beam

Nonmonochromatic (white) synchrotron radiation with a high spatial coherence makes it possible to use different types of interaction of X-rays with matter simultaneously: diffraction, refraction, absorption, and fluorescence. In this case, the structure of materials is studied by the real-time recording of high-resolution images of different types under the same conditions. The use of X-ray images for studying the structural quality is demonstrated by the example of Czochralski-grown Si_{1 −x} Ge _x single crystals. The effect that the germanium content has on the formation and evolution of the defect structure is analyzed and the relationship between the structure and properties is investigated. The experiments were performed on the Pohang Light Source (Pohang, Republic of Korea).     

Unclassical hydrogen bonds of C—H⋅<Emphasis Type="Italic">s</Emphasis>O and C—H⋅<Emphasis Type="Italic">s</Emphasis>N in the crystals of 2-amino-3-cyano-4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-oxo-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-pyrano[2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis>]pyrimidine

The 2-amino-3-cyano-4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-oxo-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-pyrano[2,3-d] pyrimidine (1, C₁₇H₁₅Cl₂N₅O₃) was synthesized and characterized by IR,¹H NMR and elemental analysis. The molecular structure of1 was further studied by using X-ray crystallography. The crystals of compound1 are triclinic, space groupP-1,a = 6.0090(4) Å,b = 10.4056(7) Å,c = 15.6021(11) Å, α = 70.983(4), β = 84.056(6), γ = 84.611(6),Z = 2,V = 915.47(11) ų. Two types of unclassical hydrogen bonds C–H?sO and C–H?sN were presented in the crystals. In addition, there were classical hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure.     

New Data on the Isomorphism in Eudialyte-Group Minerals. ХI: Crystal Structure of a Potentially New Mineral—A Case of Complete Substitution of Fe2+ with $${\text{Na}}_{{{\text{2/3}}}}^{{\text{ + }}}{\text{Zr}}_{{{\text{1/3}}}}^{{{\text{4 + }}}}$$ in the Eudialyte-Type Structure

Crystallography Reports - The crystal structure and crystallochemical features of a Fe-deficient zirconium-rich analog of eudialyte from the Lovozero alkaline massif (Kola peninsula) have been...