Phase transitions, electrical conductivity and chemical stability of BiFeO3 at high temperatures

The multiferroic perovskite BiFeO₃ is reported to display two first order structural phase transitions. The structural phase transition at 925±5 °C is demonstrated to be first order by calorimetry and dilatometry. Electrical conductivity measurements revealed that the high temperature phase above 925±5 °C is semiconducting, in disagreement with recent reports. The sign and magnitude of the volumes of transition reflect the sign and magnitude of the discontinuities in electrical conductivity across the two first order phase transitions. A high partial pressure of oxygen was demonstrated to stabilise BiFeO₃ towards peritectic decomposition. Finally, the origins of the commonly observed decomposition of BiFeO₃ at high temperatures are discussed.     

Phase transitions in K3AlF6

Phase transitions in the elpasolite-type K₃AlF₆ complex fluoride were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, electron diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction. Three phase transitions were identified with critical temperatures , and . The α-K₃AlF₆ phase is stable below T₁ and crystallizes in a monoclinic unit cell with a=18.8588(2)Å, b=34.0278(2)Å, c=18.9231(1)Å, β=90.453(1)° (a=2a_c−c_c, b=4b_c, c=a_c+2c_c; a_c, b_c, c_c—the basic lattice vectors of the face-centered cubic elpasolite structure) and space group I2/a or Ia. The intermediate β phase exists only in very narrow temperature interval between T₁ and T₂. The γ polymorph is stable in the T₂<T<T₃ temperature range and has an orthorhombic unit cell with a=36.1229(6)Å, b=17.1114(3)Å, c=12.0502(3)Å (a=3a_c−3c_c, b=2b_c, c=a_c+c_c) at 250 °C and space group Fddd. Above T₃ the cubic δ polymorph forms with a_c=8.5786(4)Å at 400 °C and space group . The similarity between the K₃AlF₆ and K₃MoO₃F₃ compounds is discussed.     

LiAlO2细粉料的制备及反应机理研究

As a functional inorganic material, LiAlO₂ was focused on widely, especially in the field of tritium breeder of fusion reactor. In this article, the proper reaction conditions and mechanism to synthesis the γ-LiAlO₂ by solid state method are considered. In the experiments, it has been found that the phase of β- and γ-LiAlO₂ are only produced by the reaction of LiOH and Al₂O₃, while the α- and γ-LiAlO₂ can be obtained by the reaction of Li₂CO₃ and Al₂O₃. As compared with Li₂CO₃ and Al₂O₃ reacted at 900～1000℃ for the preparation of γ-LiAlO₂, the γ-LiAlO₂ can also be made by the reaction of LiOH and Al₂O₃ at some more lower temperatures that is due to the bulk diffuse mech-anism. But the former can get better crystal and have smaller particles for the mechanism of surface fast reaction. As a result, the sub-micron γ-LiAlO₂ powders with the diameter less than 0.3μm are obtained.     

Structural change of layered perovskite La2Ti2O7 at high pressures

The perovskite-related layered structure of La₂Ti₂O₇ has been studied at pressures up to 30 GPa using synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering. The XRD results indicate a pronounced anisotropy for the compressibility of the monoclinic unit cell. The ratio of the relative compressibilities along the [100], [010] and [001] directions is ∼1:3:5. The greatest compressibility is along the [001] direction, perpendicular to the interlayer. A pressure-induced phase transition occurs at 16.7 GPa. Both Raman and XRD measurements reveal that the pressure-induced phase transition is reversible. The high-pressure phase has a close structural relation to the low-pressure monoclinic phase and the phase transition may be due to the tilting of TiO₆ octahedra at high pressures.     

Phase stability and ionic conductivity in substituted La2W2O9

Different substitutions, i.e. Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, K⁺, Nb⁵⁺ and V⁵⁺, have been performed in the triclinic α-La₂W₂O₉ structure in order to stabilise the high temperature and better ionic conductor cubic β-phase. This approach has been used to try to obtain a new series of ionic conductors with LAMOX-type structure without molybdenum and presumably better redox stability compared to β-La₂Mo₂O₉. Nanocrystalline materials obtained by a freeze-drying precursor method at 600 °C exhibit mainly the β-La₂W₂O₉ structure, however, the triclinic α-form is stabilised as the firing temperature increases and the crystallite size grows. Only high levels of Ba²⁺ and V⁵⁺ substitutions retained the cubic form at room temperature after firing above 1100 °C. However, these phases are metastable above 700 °C, exhibiting an irreversible transformation to the low temperature triclinic α-phase. The synthesis, structure, phase stability, kinetic of phase transformation and electrical conductivity of these materials have been studied in the present report.     

High-pressure transitions in MgAl2O4 and a new high-pressure phase of Mg2Al2O5

Phase transitions in MgAl₂O₄ were examined at 21-27 GPa and 1400-2500 °C using a multianvil apparatus. A mixture of MgO and Al₂O₃ corundum that are high-pressure dissociation products of MgAl₂O₄ spinel combines into calcium-ferrite type MgAl₂O₄ at 26-27 GPa and 1400-2000 °C. At temperature above 2000 °C at pressure below 25.5 GPa, a mixture of Al₂O₃ corundum and a new phase with Mg₂Al₂O₅ composition is stable. The transition boundary between the two fields has a strongly negative pressure-temperature slope. Structure analysis and Rietveld refinement on the basis of the powder X-ray diffraction profile of the Mg₂Al₂O₅ phase indicated that the phase represented a new structure type with orthorhombic symmetry (Pbam), and the lattice parameters were determined as a=9.3710(6) Å, b=12.1952(6) Å, c=2.7916(2) Å, V=319.03(3) Å³, Z=4. The structure consists of edge-sharing and corner-sharing (Mg, Al)O₆ octahedra, and contains chains of edge-sharing octahedra running along the c-axis. A part of Mg atoms are accommodated in six-coordinated trigonal prism sites in tunnels surrounded by the chains of edge-sharing (Mg, Al)O₆ octahedra. The structure is related with that of ludwigite (Mg, Fe²⁺)₂(Fe³⁺, Al)(BO₃)O₂. The molar volume of the Mg₂Al₂O₅ phase is smaller by 0.18% than sum of molar volumes of 2MgO and Al₂O₃ corundum. High-pressure dissociation to the mixture of corundum-type phase and the phase with ludwigite-related structure has been found only in MgAl₂O₄ among various A²⁺B³⁺₂O₄ compounds.     

Pressure-induced phase transitions in Al2(WO4)3

The high pressure behavior of aluminum tungstate [Al₂(WO₄)₃] has been investigated up to ∼18 GPa with the help of Raman scattering studies. Our results confirm the recent observations of two reversible phase transitions below 3 GPa. In addition, we find that this compound undergoes two more phase transitions at ∼5.3 and ∼6 GPa before transforming irreversibly to an amorphous phase at ∼14 GPa.     

Pressure-induced coordination changes in LiBO2

The coordination and structure changes in LiBO₂ have been studied at high pressure and temperature up to 5 GPa and 1500 °C using in-situ high-pressure differential thermal analysis, infrared absorption spectra and X-ray diffraction. The layer framework structure of α-LiBO₂ is found to be compressed easily along the direction of c-axis, resulting in the formation of tetra-coordinated BO₄ units. The phase transition boundaries between α- and γ-LiBO₂ as well as between amorphous LiBO₂ hydrate and γ-LiBO₂ have negative pressure–temperature slopes. The conditions for transformation from α- to γ-LiBO₂ are lower than that necessary to transform amorphous LiBO₂ hydrate to γ-LiBO₂. Moreover, the melting curve of LiBO₂ has also been determined and has a positive pressure–temperature slope. Upon quenching from high pressure, LiBO₂ may not contain ^[3]B–O–^[3]B rings but contain more fraction of ^[4]B units with increasing pressure.     

聚合物-溶剂-超临界CO2三元体系的相行为

研究了聚合物-超临界二氧化碳二元体系溶解性,并考查了添加共溶剂对溶解性的影响,结果表明,添加共溶剂会大大提高CO2的溶解度.此外,还研究了聚合物-溶剂-超临界二氧化碳三元体系在高压时的相行为, 探讨了组分性质、含量等对温度-压力相图的影响.随着CO2含量的增加,压力-温度相图L-LV（单一液相向液气两相共存）边界线的斜率会出现突变点,发生由L-LV边界线向L-LL（单一液相向液液两相共存）边界线的过渡, 而L-LV边界线对不同聚合物并不敏感.     

Single-crystal synthesis and structure refinement of the LiCoO2-LiAlO2 solid-solution compounds: LiAl0.32Co0.68O2 and LiAl0.71Co0.29O2

Single crystals of the LiCoO₂-LiAlO₂ solid solution compounds LiAl_0.32Co_0.68O₂ and LiAl_0.71Co_0.29O₂ were synthesized by a flux method using alumina crucibles. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study confirmed the trigonal space group and the lattice parameters a=2.8056(11) Å, c=14.1079(15) Å, and c/a=5.028 for LiAl_0.32Co_0.68O₂, and a=2.8023(7) Å, c=14.184(4) Å, and c/a=5.061 for LiAl_0.71Co_0.29O₂. The crystal structures have been refined to the conventional values R=3.2% and wR=2.4% for LiAl_0.32Co_0.68O₂, and R=3.6% and wR=3.5% for LiAl_0.71Co_0.29O₂. The evidence of the location of Al atoms in the pseudotetragonal coordination (6c site), reported previously in LiAl_0.2Co_0.8O₂, could not be observed in the present electron density distribution maps in both LiAl_0.32Co_0.68O₂ and LiAl_0.71Co_0.29O₂. The octahedral distortion analysis indicated that the Al-substitution strongly affected the distortion of the LiO₆ octahedron in this solid-solution compound system, but hardly affected that of the (Al.Co)O₆ octahedron.     

Pressure-induced structural transformations in lanthanide titanates: La2TiO5 and Nd2TiO5

The structure of orthorhombic rare earth titanates of La₂TiO₅ and Nd₂TiO₅, where Ti cations are in five-fold coordination with oxygen, has been studied at high pressures by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering measurements, and quantum mechanical calculations. Both XRD and Raman results indicated two pressure-induced phase transitions during the process. An orthorhombic super cell (a×b×2c) formed at a pressure between 6 and 10 GPa, and then transformed to a hexagonal high-pressure phase accompanied by partial decomposition. The hexagonal high-pressure phase is quenchable. Detailed structural analysis indicated that the five-coordinated TiO₅ polyhedra remain during the formation of super cell, but the orthorhombic-to-hexagonal phase transition at high pressures is a reconstructive process, and the five-fold Ti-O coordination increased to more than 6. This phase transition sequence was verified by quantum mechanical calculations.     

Phase equilibria in the pseudo-binary system SrO-Fe2O3

The phase relations in the pseudo-binary system SrO-Fe₂O₃ have been investigated in air up to 1150°C by means of powder X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. Sr₃Fe₂O_7−δ, SrFeO_3−δ and SrFe₁₂O₁₉ are stable phases in the entire investigated temperature region, whereas Sr₂FeO_4−δ and Sr₄Fe₃O_10−δ decompose above 930±10°C and 850±25°C, respectively. Sr₄Fe₆O_13±δ is entropy-stabilized relative to SrFeO_3−δ and SrFe₁₂O₁₉ above 775±25°C. Extended solid-solution Sr_1±xFeO_3−δ was demonstrated. On the Fe-deficient side, the extent of solid solubility appeared to decrease gradually with temperature, whereas an abrupt decrease due to formation of Sr₄Fe₆O_13±δ was observed above 775°C on the Sr-deficient side.     

Pressure induced phase transformation in U2O(PO4)2

The high pressure behavior of U₂O(PO₄)₂ has been investigated with the help of Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction measurements up to ∼14 and 6.5 GPa, respectively. The observed changes in the Raman spectra as well as the X-ray diffraction patterns suggest that U₂O(PO₄)₂ undergoes a phase transition at ∼6 GPa to a mixture of a disordered ambient pressure phase and a new high pressure phase. The new phase resembles the triclinic mixed-valence phase of uranium orthophosphate (U(UO₂)(PO₄)₂). On release of pressure the initial phase is not retrieved.     

Why pressure induces an abrupt structural rearrangement in PdTe2 but not in PtTe2

High-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements were carried out for polymeric CdI₂-type compounds MTe₂ (M=Pt, Pd) to investigate if they undergo a structural phase transition under pressure as does IrTe₂. Up to 27 GPa at room temperature PtTe₂ does not undergo any structural phase transition. In contrast, however, an abrupt change in the inter-atomic distances occurs in PdTe₂ above 15.7 GPa at room temperature, and above 5 GPa at 300 °C, but the volume vs. pressure curve exhibits no discontinuity. To account for the differences between the isostructural compounds PtTe₂, PdTe₂ and IrTe₂, their electronic structures and bonding were analyzed on the basis of first principles electronic band structure calculations.     

Structural studies on W and Nd substituted La2Mo2O9 materials

The structure of a series of new ionic conductors based in lanthanum molybdate (La₂Mo₂O₉) has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The superstructure 2a_c×3a_c×4a_c of the low temperature α-polymorph relative to the β-polymorph was confirmed by HRTEM imaging and electron diffraction. Furthermore, the effects of partial cation substitution in the La_2−xNd_xMo₂O₉ and La₂Mo_2−yW_yO₉ series have been also evaluated in the search of new clues to understand the structure and stabilisation of the high temperature and better conductor β-polymorph. The thermal analysis studies show that Nd-substitution does not stabilise completely the β-polymorph at room temperature, although no superstructure ordering was observed by both XRD and HRTEM. On the other hand, W-substitution stabilises the cubic β-polymorph for y>0.25, although, electron diffraction indicates a slight distortion from the cubic symmetry for low W-content. This distortion disappears as the W content increases and the Rietveld refinements gradually render better results.     

Phase transformations in nanocrystalline TiO2 milled in different milling atmospheres

The structural evolution of nanocrystalline TiO₂ milled in different milling atmospheres was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Rietveld refinements of the XRD data showed that high-energy ball milling induced the transformations from anatase to srilankite and rutile at room temperature and ambient pressure. The milling atmospheres with different oxygen partial pressures had an influence on the transformation kinetics of anatase. When the nanocrystalline TiO₂ powders were, respectively, milled in oxygen, air and nitrogen atmospheres, the transformation rates of anatases in turn increased with a decrease in oxygen partial pressure of the milling atmosphere, due to the reducing concentration of oxygen vacancies in the milled TiO₂ lattice.     

Energetics of copper diphosphates – Cu2P2O7 and Cu3(P2O6OH)2

Differential scanning calorimetry and high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry are used to study enthalpy of phase transition and enthalpies of formation of Cu₂P₂O₇ and Cu₃(P₂O₆OH)₂. α-Cu₂P₂O₇ is reversibly transformed to β-Cu₂P₂O₇ at 338–363 K with an enthalpy of phase transition of 0.15 ± 0.03 kJ mol⁻¹. Enthalpies of formation from oxides of α-Cu₂P₂O₇ and Cu₃(P₂O₆OH)₂ are −279.0 ± 1.4 kJ mol⁻¹ and −538.8 ± 2.7 kJ mol⁻¹, and their standard enthalpies of formation (enthalpy of formation from elements) are −2096.1 ± 4.3 kJ mol⁻¹ and −4302.7 ± 6.7 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. The presence of hydrogen in diphosphate groups changes the geometry of Cu(II) and decreases acid–base interaction between oxide components in Cu₃(P₂O₆OH)₂, thus decreasing its thermodynamic stability.     

The La0.95Ni0.6Fe0.4O3-CeO2 system: Phase equilibria, crystal structure of components and transport properties

Phase equilibria, crystal structure, and transport properties in the (100−x) La_0.95Ni_0.6Fe_0.4O₃-xCeO₂ (LNFCx) system (x=2-75 mol%) were studied in air. Evolution of phase compositions and crystal structure of components was observed. The LNFCx (2≤x≤10) are three-phase and comprise the perovskite phase with rhombohedral symmetry (R3?c), the modified ceria with fluorite structure (Fm3?m), and NiO as a secondary phase. These multiphase compositions exhibit metallic-like conductivity above 300 °C. Their conductivity gradually decreases from 395.6 to 260.6 S/cm, whereas the activation energy remains the same (E_a=0.04-0.05 eV), implying the decrease in the concentration of charge carriers. Phase compositions in the LNFCx (25≤x≤75) are more complicated. A change from semiconducting to metallic-like conductivity behavior was observed in LNFC25 at about 550 °C. The conductivity of LNFCx (25≤x≤75) could be explained in terms of a modified simple mixture model.     

TiO2/蒙脱石纳米复合物中TiO2的结构相变

以钛酸丁酯和季铵盐改性有机蒙脱石为原料,采用原位水解法和原位脱羟法制备了TiO2/蒙脱石纳米复合物。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、拉曼光谱(Raman)表征了不同焙烧温度下TiO2/蒙脱石纳米复合物中TiO2的结构相变,并与不同焙烧温度下纯TiO2的结构相变进行对比。结果发现TiO2/蒙脱石纳米复合物中TiO2从锐钛矿相开始转变为金红石的最低温度要比纯TiO2从锐钛矿开始相转变为金红石的最低温度高200℃,且在焙烧温度1 200℃时还存在锐钛矿相,而纯TiO2在焙烧温度800℃时就全部转换为金红石相。TiO2/蒙脱石纳米复合物中TiO2和纯TiO2的平均晶粒度都随焙烧温度升高而增大,但TiO2/蒙脱石纳米复合物中TiO2的平均晶粒度要小于相同温度下焙烧纯TiO2的平均晶粒度。表明蒙脱石结构层的硅氧结构抑制了TiO2晶型由锐钛矿相向金红石相的转变,进而使相变温度升高,同时阻碍了晶体的生长。     

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.