Phase transitions of LiAlO2 at high pressure and high temperature

This work presents a comprehensive study on phase transitions in LiAlO₂ system at high pressures and temperatures (0.5-5.0 GPa and 300-1873 K, respectively), as well as the phase stability for polymeric phases of LiAlO₂ in the studied P-T space by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Besides the previously described polymorphic hexagonal α-phase, orthorhombic β-phase and tetragonal δ-phase, a possible new phase of LiAlO₂ was observed after the tetragonal γ-LiAlO₂ sample was treated at 5.0 GPa and 389 K. The stable regimes of these high-pressure phases were defined through the observation of coexistence points of the polymeric phases. Our results revealed that LiAlO₂ could experience structural phase transitions from γ-LiAlO₂ to its polymorphs at lower pressures and temperatures compared to the reported results. Hexagonal α-LiAlO₂ with highly (003) preferential orientation was prepared at 5.0 GPa and 1873 K.     

Compressibility and structural behavior of pure and Fe-doped SnO2 nanocrystals

We have performed high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments on nanoparticles of pure tin dioxide (particle size ∼30 nm) and 10 mol % Fe-doped tin dioxide (particle size ∼18 nm). The structural behavior of undoped tin dioxide nanoparticles has been studied up to 32 GPa, while the Fe-doped tin dioxide nanoparticles have been studied only up to 19 GPa. We have found that both samples present at ∼13 GPa a second-order structural phase transition from the ambient pressure tetragonal rutile-type structure (P4₂/mnm) to an orthorhombic CaCl₂-type structure (space group Pnnm). No phase coexistence was observed for this transition. Additionally, pure SnO₂ presents a phase transition to a cubic structure at ∼24 GPa. The evolution of the lattice parameters with pressure and the room-temperature equations of state are reported for the different phases. The reported results suggest that the partial substitution of Sn by Fe induces an enhancement of the bulk modulus of SnO₂. Results are compared with previous studies on bulk and nanocrystalline SnO₂. The effects of pressure on Sn-O bonds are also analyzed.     

Pressure and temperature dependences in p-ZnAs2 at high pressures

Kinetic effects in p-ZnAs₂ were measured at hydrostatic (P ≤ 9 GPa) and quasi-hydrostatic (to P ≤ 50 GPa) pressures on pressure buildup and depressurization. A conclusion on the occurrence of two phase transitions was made: I–II at P = 9–15 GPa and II-III at P = 30–35 GPa. Based on the temperature dependences of electrical resistance, it was shown that the conductivity is determined by activation mechanisms in a temperature range of 250–400 K; in this case, the activation energy changed with temperature and pressure. The pressure dependences of the activation energy and the coefficient R ₀, which characterizes the mobility, concentration, and effective mass of carriers, were calculated.     

Tungsten bronze formation by the Group IIIA metals

Attempts have been made to prepare tungsten bronze phases from the Group IIIA metals, Al, Ga, and In. Of these, only In seems to from bronzes with any facility and three distinct compounds were characterized. Two of these were perovskite-type phases, one of tetragonal symmetry, with lattice parameters a = 0.3714 nm, c = 0.3870 nm, which forms below 1173 K and one of orthorhombic (pseudotetragonal) symmetry, with lattice parameters a = 0.3696 nm, b = 0.3722 nm, and c = 0.3859 nm, which forms above 1173 K. Both of these have a composition of approximately In_0.02WO₃. The third phase which formed in this system was a hexagonal tungsten bronze which has been characterized already. In neither the AlWO or the GaWO systems were stable bronzes formed, but some evidence suggested that metastable perovskite bronzes may form in the GaWO system in some circumstances. The formation of these phases is discussed and related to the formation of tungsten bronzes in general.     

Structural evolution of Na0.5K0.5NbO3 at high temperatures

Changes in structure and dielectric properties at elevated temperatures have been investigated on single-crystals of sodium potassium niobate, Na_0.5K_0.5NbO₃, grown by the flux method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the crystals underwent orthorhombic-tetragonal and tetragonal-cubic phase transitions at 465 and 671 K during heating and 446 and 666 K during cooling, respectively. Both transitions were accompanied by volumetric discontinuities of collapse upon heating and expansion upon cooling, suggesting that the transitions were of the first order. The coordination numbers of an Nb showed a decreasing tendency with decreasing temperature, i.e., 6 in cubic, 5+1 in tetragonal and 4+2 in orthorhombic. An Na atom occupied a slightly different position from the K atom in 12-fold coordination, resulting in fewer coordination numbers of 8+4 in cubic and tetragonal and 7+5 in orthorhombic. The spontaneous polarisation (P_s) estimated from the atom positions and formal charges were approximately 0.29 C m⁻² in orthorhombic and 0.18 C m⁻² in tetragonal. The contribution of the alkaline oxide components to P_s was estimated to be approximately 15% in both ferroelectric forms. The temperature-induced transitions were also confirmed through the dielectric constant and dielectric loss at various frequencies and the differential scanning calorimetry.     

High-pressure Raman study of Al2(WO4)3

A high-pressure Raman scattering study of the tungstate Al₂(WO₄)₃ is presented. This study showed the onset of two reversible phase transitions at 0.28±0.07 and 2.8±0.1 GPa. The pressure evolution of Raman bands provides strong evidences that both the transitions involve rotations/tilts of nearly rigid tungstate tetrahedra and that the structure of the stable phase in the 0.28-2.8 GPa range may be the same as the structure of the ambient pressure, low-temperature monoclinic (C_2h⁵) ferroelastic phase of Al₂(WO₄)₃.     

Pressure-induced phase transitions in multiferroic RbFe(MoO4)2—Raman scattering study

High pressure Raman scattering experiments were performed on RbFe(MoO₄)₂. These experiments revealed that two phase transitions take place in RbFe(MoO₄)₂ at very low pressures, i.e. between ambient pressure and 0.2 GPa and between 0.4 and 0.7 GPa. Raman results showed that at the first phase transition the room temperature P3?m1 phase transforms into the P3? phase, which is also observed at ambient pressure below 190 K. The second pressure-induced phase transition occurs into a low symmetry phase of unknown symmetry. The performed lattice dynamics calculations for the P3?m1 phase and ab initio calculation of the structural changes under hydrostatic pressure helped us to get better insights into the mechanism of the observed phase transitions.     

Structural evolution of (Ca0.35Sr0.65)TiO3 perovskite at high pressures

Lattice parameters of a synthetic powder sample of Ca_0.35Sr_0.65TiO₃ perovskite have been determined by the method of Le Bail refinement, using synchrotron X-ray diffraction patterns collected at pressures up to 15.5 GPa with a membrane-driven diamond anvil cell. At ambient conditions, diffraction data were consistent with the I4/mcm structure reported previously in the literature for the same composition. Diffraction data collected at high pressures were consistent with tetragonal (or, at least, pseudo-tetragonal) lattice geometry, and no evidence was found for the development of any of the orthorhombic structures identified in other studies of (Ca, Sr)TiO₃ perovskites. Additional weak reflections, which could not be accounted for by the normal I4/mcm perovskite structure, were detected in diffraction patterns collected at pressures of 0.9-2.5 GPa, and above ∼13.5 GPa, however. Small anomalies in the evolution of unit cell volume and tetragonal strain were observed near 3 GPa, coinciding approximately with breaks in slope with increasing pressure of bulk and shear moduli for a sample with the same composition which had previously been reported. The anomalies could be due either to new tetragonal↔tetragonal/pseudo-tetragonal phase transitions or to subtle changes in compression mechanism of the tetragonal perovskite structure.     

A new high-pressure phase of LiAlO2

A new high-pressure phase of LiAlO₂ has been recovered through a shock recovery technique at pressures above 9 GPa. This new phase has been refined as a tetragonal structure with lattice parameters of a=0.38866(8) nm and c=0.83001(18) nm. Its calculated density is 3.51 g/cm³, about 34% denser than γ-LiAlO₂. The aluminum and lithium cations in this new phase are six-fold coordinated, as in α-LiAlO₂ and the structure of this new phase is similar to tetragonal LiFeO₂. This new high-pressure phase is stable at temperatures up to 773 K.     

Theoretical calculations of high-pressure phases of NiF<Subscript>2</Subscript>: An ab initio constant-pressure study

We have studied the structural properties of the antiferromagnetic NiF₂ tetragonal structure with P4₂/mnm symmetry using density functional theory (DFT) under rapid hydrostatic pressure up to 400 GPa. For the exchange correlation energy we used the local density approximation (LDA) of Ceperley and Alder (CA). Two phase transformations are successfully observed through the simulations. The structures of XF₂-type compounds crystallize in rutile-type structure. NiF₂ undergoes phase transformations from the tetragonal rutile-type structure with space group P4₂/mnm to orthorhombic CaCl₂-type structure with space group Pnnm and from this orthorhombic phase to monoclinic structure with space group C2/m at 152 GPa and 360 GPa, respectively. These phase changes are also studied by total energy and enthalpy calculations. According to these calculations, we perdict these phase transformations at about 1.85 and 30 GPa.     

Structural and dynamical studies of δ-Bi2O3 oxide ion conductors: III. Phase relationships in the system (Bi2O3)1−x(M2O3)x as a function of pressure and temperature (M = Y,Er, or Yb)

We report the results of a structural investigation of the nonstoichiometric solid solutions (Bi₂O₃)_1−x(M₂O₃)_x (M = Y, Er, or Yb) treated at temperatures of between 298 and 1023 K and at pressures of up to 4 GPa. For x = 0.25 and M = Er or Y, 4 GPa pressure at 873 K causes the fluorite-related phase stable under ambient conditions to transform to a monoclinic phase which on subsequent annealing transforms to a rhombohedral phase isostructural with that adopted by the solid solution (Bi₂O₃)_1−x(Sm₂O₃)_x under ambient conditions. For x = 0.4 and M = Er or Y, application of 4 GPa at 1073 K causes the fluorite phase to undergo a distortion to another rhombohedral structure with a smaller unit cell. No transitions were found in the Yb³⁺-doped system.     

Pressure-induced phase transition of Fe2TiO4: X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy

X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy were employed to investigate structural stability of Fe₂TiO₄ under high pressure. Measurements were performed up to about 24 GPa at room temperature using diamond anvil cell. Experimental results demonstrate that Fe₂TiO₄ undergoes a series of phase transitions from cubic (Fd3?m) to tetragonal (I4₁/amd) at 8.7 GPa, and then to orthorhombic structure (Cmcm) at 16.0 GPa. The high-pressure phase (Cmcm) of Fe₂TiO₄ is kept on decompression to ambient pressure. In all polymorphs of Fe₂TiO₄, iron cations present a high-spin ferrous property without electric charge exchange with titanium cations at high pressure supported by Mössbauer evidences.     

A series of lead tungsten bronzes

The phases in samples of gross composition Pb_xWO₃ (0.01 ? x ? 0.28) heated at temperatures between 973 and 1373°K have been investigated. At all temperatures a nonstoichiometric tetragonal tungsten bronze phase forms for compositions x > 0.18. At temperatures up to 1273°K a series of orthorhombic intergrowth bronzes also forms, but these appear to be unstable at higher temperatures and were not found in the preparations made at 1373°K. Aspects of the crystal chemistry of these latter materials are discussed, including structure, crystal habit, valence of the Pb atoms in these phases, and the relation of the phases found here to other related intergrowth bronze phases.     

Pressure and Temperature Dependence of the Ferroelectric-Paraelectric Phase Transition in PbTiO3

Synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction patterns were collected at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, Grenoble, France) on powder samples of PbTiO₃ (tetragonal, Z=1 P4mma=3.9036(1) Å and c=4.1440(2) Å at room conditions) applying external pressure using a diamond anvil cell. Data were collected at four different temperatures (room temperature, 462, 538 and 623 K) up to the phase transition to the cubic phase (Z=1, Pm3ma=3.8647(4) Å at RT and 11.6 GPa). Analyzing the behavior of the cell parameters obtained by the Rietveld refinement, we were able to extract the dependence of the critical temperature on external pressure. The bulk moduli of the lead titanate were calculated for the first time. The progressive decrease of the distortion of the Pb and Ti coordination polyhedra with pressure allows to propose a structural explanation of the first-/second-order cross-over in the ferroelectric-paralectric phase transition on applying pressure.     

WO<Subscript>3</Subscript> films prepared by thermal oxidation of magnetron-sputtered tungsten: Synthesis and properties

X-ray powder diffraction shows that a monoclinic WO_2.90 film is formed during the thermal oxidation of 200-nm-thick magnetron-sputtered metallic tungsten on quartz substrates at T = 793 K. Temperature elevation to T = 840 K yields orthorhombic WO₃ with preferred (001) orientation. Adsorption spectroscopy shows that these films have high transparency (～90%) in the wavelength range 450–900 nm, and interference is observed in the transparency range. Two types of transitions are discovered: indirect transitions with the energies E _gi = 2.77 and 2.41 eV and direct transitions with the energies E _gd = 5.49 and 4.82 eV for the oxide films formed at 793 and 840 K, respectively. The tendency toward the increase in the transition energy with increasing annealing temperature proves that the crystallinity and order of the film improve.     

Raman and i.r. studies of phase transitions in (CH3)3NHClO4

(CH₃)₃NHClO₄ belongs to the monoclinic system with space group P2₁/m (C²_2h) at 300 K. Raman and i.r. spectra (20-5000cm⁻¹) of single crystals and polycrystalline samples of (CH₃)₃NHClO₄ and its N-deuterated derivative were investigated in the temperature range 90-500 K. A systematic temperature-dependence study of the frequencies and band-widths show the existence of phase transitions at 397 and 480 K. The main features of the spectra, particularly in the ambient temperature phase, are assigned with the aid of factor group analysis. The spectral changes indicate that both cations and anions undergo quasiisotropic motion in phases II and I and self-diffusion in phase I.     

Phase transformation and crystalline growth of 4 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia

The phase transformation and crystalline growth of 4 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (4Y-PSZ) precursor powders have been investigated using the coprecipitation route, using zirconium oxide chloride octahydrate (ZrOCl₂·8H₂O) and yttrium nitrate (Y(NO₃)₃·6H₂O) as the initial materials. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), nano beam electron diffraction (NBED), and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) were utilized to characterize the behavior of phase transformation and crystalline growth of the 4Y-PSZ precursor powders after calcined. Tetragonal ZrO₂ crystallization occurred at about 718.2 K. The activation energy of tetragonal ZrO₂ crystallization was 227.0 ± 17.4 kJ/mol, obtained by a non-isothermal method. The growth morphology parameter (n) and growth mechanism index were close to 2.0, showing that tetragonal ZrO₂ had a plate-like morphology. The crystalline size of tetragonal ZrO₂ increased from 7.9 to 27.6 nm when the calcination temperature was increased from 973 to 1,273 K. The activation energies of tetragonal ZrO₂ growth were 14.97 ± 0.33 and 84.46 ± 6.65 kJ/mol when precursor powders after calcined from 723–973 and 973–1,273 K, respectively.     

Structural study of perovskite-type fine particles by synchrotron radiation powder diffraction

The crystal structures of BaTiO₃ and PbTiO₃ fine particles have been investigated by powder diffraction using synchrotron radiation high energy X-rays. It is revealed that a BaTiO₃ fine particle essentially consists of tetragonal and cubic structure components at 300 K, whereas a PbTiO₃ fine particle consists of a tetragonal structure. Adopting a structure model for the BaTiO₃ particle that a cubic shell covers a tetragonal core, the thickness of cubic BaTiO₃ shell is estimated at almost constant irrespective of particle sizes. Successive phase transitions are detected in 100 nm particles of BaTiO₃ near the phase-transition temperatures of a bulk crystal. The changes in diffraction profiles are small, but they are apparent for a most up-to-date powder diffractometry. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Neutron powder diffraction study of phase transitions in Sr2SnO4

The phase transitions in Sr₂SnO₄ at high temperature have been studied using high resolution time-of-flight powder neutron diffraction. The room temperature structure of Sr₂SnO₄ is orthorhombic (Pccn), which can be derived from the tetragonal K₂NiF₄ structure by tilting the SnO₆ octahedra along the tetragonal [100]_T- and [010]_T-axes with non-equal tilts. At the temperature of about 423 K, it transforms to another orthorhombic structure (Bmab) characterized by the SnO₆ octahedral tilt around the [110]_T-axis. At still higher temperatures (∼573 K) the structure was found to be tetragonal K₂NiF₄-type (I4/mmm).     

Structural Phase Transitions and Magnetic Superexchange in MIAgIIF3 Perovskites at High Pressure**

Pressure-induced phase transitions of M^IAg^IIF₃ perovskites (M=K, Rb, Cs) have been predicted theoretically for the first time for pressures up to 100 GPa. The sequence of phase transitions for M=K and Rb consists of a transition from orthorhombic to monoclinic and back to orthorhombic, associated with progressive bending of infinite chains of corner-sharing [AgF₆]⁴⁻ octahedra and their mutual approach through secondary Ag⋅⋅⋅F contacts. In stark contrast, only a single phase transition (tetragonal→triclinic) is predicted for CsAgF₃; this is associated with substantial deformation of the Jahn–Teller-distorted first coordination sphere of Ag^II and association of the infinite [AgF₆]⁴⁻ chains into a polymeric sublattice. The phase transitions markedly decrease the coupling strength of intra-chain antiferromagnetic superexchange in MAgF₃ hosts lattices.