Structural studies of the monoclinic dihydrogen phosphates: II. A neutron-diffraction study of TlH2PO4

A neutron-diffraction study of TlH₂PO₄ at room temperature (RT) is presented as part of an investigation of the group of monoclinic dihydrogen phosphates: NaDP, deuterated-KDP, CsDP, and TlDP (DP denotes H₂PO₄). The structure of TlDP, and the nature of its phase transition at 230 K, are discussed and compared with paraelectric CsDP — with which TlDP is nearly isomorphous at RT.     

Infrared spectra of paraelectric and ferroelectric CsH2PO4

ir spectra are reported for polycrystalline CsH₂PO₄ above and below the transformation temperature, 153 K. Three absorption bands at 1760 cm^-1 2350 cm^-1 and 2800 cm^-1 are assigned to -OHO- vibrations. Whilst the 2350 cm^-1 band remains essentially unaltered, the 1760 cm^-1 band splits into multiplets and the 2800 cm^-1 band shifts to lower frequency on cooling below 153 K. A broad band centred at 3240 cm^-1 is found to exist in the ferroelectric phase and is associated with the -OHO- mode involving the H(2) proton ordered below the transition.     

-OHO- vibrations in the Raman spectra of paraelectric CsH2PO4 crystal

Polarised Raman spectra in the frequency range of 1500 cm^-1 to 400 cm^-1 are reported for paraelectric CsH₂PO₄ crystal. The spectral features recorded are interpreted by means of factor group analysis applied to the triatomic vibrational units -OHO-.     

Dielectric properties of CsH2PO4 and CsD2PO4

Orthorhombic CsH₂PO₄ undergoes a ferroelectric transition at T_c = ?119.5°C, whereas the ferroelectric transition temperature in isomorphous CsD₂PO₄ is T_c = ?5.55°C. The transitions are of first order in both cases. The rather large isotope effect demonstrates the importance of the OHO bonds in the transition mechanism.     

A dynamic study of the quasi-one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded ferroelectric crystal CsH2PO4

The dynamics of the strong-anisotropic Ising model in a transverse field is used with the purpose to explain the dielectric critical slowing down observed experimentally in the quasi-one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded ferroelectric crystal CsH₂PO₄. A good agreement with the experimental data of the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and the relaxation time is obtained.     

Superprotonic solid solutions between CsHSO4 and CsH2PO4

Solid solutions of (CsHSO₄)_1 − x(CsH₂PO₄)_x (x = 0.25-0.75) were synthesized by mechanical milling method over a wide range of compositions. Superprotonic cubic phase was confirmed for all these samples between 293 and 420 K depending on its composition. These superprotonic phases have primitive cubic structure similar to that of CsH₂PO₄. The kinetic stability of the supercooled cubic phase depends both on the composition x and the humidity of surrounding atmosphere. The most stable composition of the cubic phase was found around x = 0.67 and could be maintained for several days even under ambient atmosphere. The ionic conductivities of these superprotonic phases reached 10^− 2–10^− 3 S∙cm^− 1 at 450 K. With increasing x the ionic conductivity at the superprotonic phase decreased continuously associated with the increase of the activation energy. These findings suggest that the average number of the hydrogen bonds between XO₄ (X = S, P) units plays an important role on the stability of the cubic phase and also on the conductivity.     

Low-frequency Raman spectra of paraelectric KH2PO4

The spectra recently published by Tominaga and Urabe are shown to be in good qualitative agreement with the current coupled-mode models of the KDP transition. The need for a careful quantitative analysis of this type of data over a broad frequency range is discussed.     

Investigation of the ferroelectronic phase transition of CsH2PO4 by the pyroelectric methods

Pyroelectric methods are used for estimation of the polarization of the CDP crystal. The peak value of the pyroelectric coefficient is observed at 154.5 K. The phase of CDP above T_c up to ca. 230 K is revealed to be a polar one with polarization fluctuations in this temperature region.     

Brillouin scattering investigation of paraelectric KH2PO4 under applied uniaxial stress

The Brillouin scattering spectra of KH₂PO₄ under an applied uniaxial stress have been studied in the neighborhood of the ferroelectric transition. Dependence of shear acoustic phonon on the uniaxial stress is similar to dependence on electric field. The acoustic phonon is overdamped near T_c, but become underdamped under the applied shear stress. In the case of ΔT(= T — T_c) < ～ 0.05 K, application of stress caused a transition not to have any soft acoustic phonon.     

Surfactant effect on the conductivity behavior of CsH2PO4: Characterization by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Cesium dihydrogen phosphate (CDP) nanoparticles were synthesized using the surfactants cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene (F-68) and (F-68:CTAB) with molar ratio 0.06. The samples conductivity such as CDP_CTAB, CDP_F-68 and CDP_{(F-68:CTAB)0.06} was studied by impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 0.01 Hz to 1 MHz. The Nyquist plots were drawn at different temperatures of 210, 230 and 260 °C, which are defined below transition, phase transition and above transition, respectively. The measured conductivities obey the Arrhenius relation. The influence of surfactants on conductivity are more significant at higher temperature due to grain boundary. The conductivity of CDP_CTAB increased slightly with increasing temperature to 260 °C, whereas the conductivity of other samples decreased with increasing temperature over 230 °C. The results indicated that the conductivities increase in the order of CDP_CTAB>CDP_{(F-68:CTAB)0.06}>CDP_F-68. These are in accordance to the ion exchange capacities of the samples that the surfactant shows a direct influence on the samples proton mobility. It is found that the conductivity of CsH₂PO₄ is influenced by surfactant type.     

NH4H2PO4和ND4D2PO4晶体微结构的拉曼光谱研究

本文利用偏振拉曼光谱和第一性原理, 对磷酸二氢铵(NH₄H₂PO₄, ADP)和不同氘含量磷酸二氢铵DADP晶体的晶格振动模式进行了研究. 实验测得了不同几何配置、200–4000 cm^-1范围的偏振拉曼光谱, 分析在不同氘含量条件下921 cm^-1和3000 cm^-1附近拉曼峰的变化. 在ADP晶体中, 基于基本结构单元NH₄⁺ 和H₂PO₄^-基团的振动模, 用第一性原理进行了数值模拟, 进一步明确拉曼峰与晶体中原子振动的对应关系; 通过洛伦兹拟合不同氘含量DADP晶体的拉曼光谱中2000–2600 cm^-1处各峰的变化讨论了DADP 晶体的氘化过程, 结果表明氘化顺序是先NH₄⁺ 基团后H₂PO₄^-基团, 研究结果为今后此类材料的生长和性能优化奠定了基础.     

The antiferroelectric phase transition in TlH2PO4 and TlD2PO4

It is shown by X-ray diffraction measurements that the transitions at 230 K in TlH₂PO₄ and at ≈ 350 K in TlD₂PO₄ are structurally equivalent. In both cases, on cooling through the transition, new reflections appear at points ($\text{h +}\text{1}\text{2}$, $\text{k +}\text{1}\text{2}$, l) referred to the primitive monoclinic unit cell of the high-temperature phase. In TlH₂PO₄ some distinct but broadened scattering remains at the ($\text{h +}\text{1}\text{2}$, $\text{k +}\text{1}\text{2}$, l) points up to 10 K, or more, above the transition temperature.     

Coexistence of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric microregions in the paraelectric phase of NH4H2PO4 (ADP)

Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate NH₄H₂PO₄ (ADP) is an antiferroelectric (AFE) compound belonging to the KDP-type family of hydrogen-bonded ferroelectrics. Recent ab initio results have shown that the optimization of the N–H–O bridges in ADP leads to the stabilization of the AFE state over a FE one. However, electron spin probe measurements have suggested that microregions of both phases may coexist above the critical antiferroelectric–paraelectric transition temperature. We have performed first principles studies of the energetics and relative stability of different AFE and FE defects embedded in a paraelectric (PE) matrix of ADP. Our analysis indicates that FE and AFE clusters are stable and may coexist in the PE phase, thus confirming the above suggestion.     

Optical studies of (NH4)2SO4 single crystal in the paraelectric phase

Transmittance and absorbance spectra of (NH₄)₂SO₄ single crystals along [010] direction were measured at different temperatures (296, 308, 318, 328 and 348 K) in the paraelectric phase. The absorption coefficient was computed and the analysis of the data revealed the existence of two optical transitions in (NH₄)₂SO₄ single crystals. The direct and indirect band gaps were shifted towards the longer wavelength with increasing temperature. The data on the allowed indirect transition was analyzed and interpreted in terms of two valence bands originated by spin orbit interaction and crystal field splitting. The momenta E_p were calculated as the difference between E_g1, the first valence to conduction band, and E_g2 for the second valence band at different temperatures. The results of extinction coefficient (k), the refractive index (n), and dielectric constants (ε) were also discussed and calculated as a function of wave length (λ). The heat treatment of the crystals proved that the variations of these optical parameters can be consequence of the internal microstructure changes caused by annealing.     

Antiferroelectricity in TID2PO4

Polarization versus electric field double hysteresis loops along the b-axis of TID₂PO₄ were observed. From this fact and the permittivity versus temperature characteristic, the low temperature phase of TID₂PO₄ was confirmed to be antiferroelectric.     

A Mössbauer study of antiferroelectric transition in Fe: NH4H2PO4

Mössbauer studies in ⁵⁷Fe³⁺: NH₄H₂PO₄ (ADP) were conducted over a range of temperatures covering the antiferroelectric transition at 148 K, using both powder and single crystal absorbers. No anomaly was observed in the temperature dependence of chemical isomershift and normalised resonance intensity at the transition point T_c. However, a sudden increase in the line width around T_c was observed, consistent with the expected increase in electric field gradient created by the onset of antiferroelectric ordering. These experiments clearly show that the impurity Fe atoms do not play any role in the soft mode responsible for the spontaneous polarization in ADP.     

Raman spectral of low-lying longitudinal mode of KH2PO4 and KD2PO4 in ferroelectric phase

The origin of the low-lying modes of KH₂PO₄ and KD₂PO₄ in the ferroelectric phase has been clarified by the z(xy)z? Raman scattering experiments. The “S-mode”, which has been usually assigned to the proton tunneling mode in KH₂PO₄ at T<T_c, has been found in the z(xy)z? spectrum of KD₂PO₄ in contrast to the x(xy)y spectrum. It has been found that the frequency of the “S-mode” of KD₂PO₄ is higher than that of KH₂PO₄. These results have shown that the “S-mode” is far from the proton tunneling mode nor the proton/deuteron mode at all. From the present Raman spectroscopy, it is concluded that the “S-mode” is assigned to the libration mode of the PO₄ tertahedrons.     

A shell model for the H-bonded ferroelectric KH2PO4

A shell model for KH₂PO₄ (KDP), the prototype compound of the family of H-bonded ferroelectric materials, has been constructed by adjusting the interaction parameters to first-principles calculations. Structural properties, energy barriers, phonons, and the relative stability between the ferroelectric (FE) phase and a relevant antiferroelectric metastable structure associated to domain walls, compare very favorably to available first-principles and experimental data. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the model behaves satisfactorily within the FE phase. This model will be used to study the elusive structure of the paraelectric (PE) phase and the nature of the FE–PE phase transition.     

Positron annihilation in KH2PO4

A positron annihilation study of KH₂PO₄ provides new evidence of a high temperature phase transition at 447 K. The results suggest the formation of a long lived positron or positronium state which could be associated with bond defects.     

Intermediate-temperature polymorphic phase transition in KH2PO4: A synchrotron X-ray diffraction study

We have used synchrotron X-ray diffraction to investigate the structural and chemical changes undergone by polycrystalline KH₂PO₄ (KDP) upon heating within the 30-250 °C temperature interval. Our data show evidence of a polymorphic transition at T∼190 °C from the room-temperature tetragonal KDP phase to a new intermediate-temperature monoclinic KDP modification (spacegroup P2₁/m and lattice parameters a=7.590, b=6.209, c=4.530 Å, and β=107.36°). The monoclinic RDP polymorph remains stable upon further heating to 235 °C, and is isomorphic to its RbH₂PO₄ and CsH₂PO₄ counterparts.