X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and Raman scattering study of K2BeF4 and comparation to other member of the (beta)-K2SO4 family with ferroelectric -paraelectric transition

Thermal analysis, powder diffraction, and Raman scattering as a function of the temperature were carried out on K2BeF4. Moreover, the crystal structure was determined at 293 K from powder diffraction. The compound shows a transition from Pna21 to Pnam space group at 921 K with a transition enthalpy of 5 kJ/mol. The transition is assumed to be first order because the compound shows metastability. Structurally and spectroscopically the transition is similar to those observed in (NH4)2SO4, which suggests that the low-temperature phase is ferroelectric. In order to confirm it, the spontaneous polarization has been computed using an ionic model

Experimental and theoretical study of α–Eu2(MoO4)3 under compression

The compression process in the α-phase of europium trimolybdate was revised employing several experimental techniques. X-ray diffraction (using synchrotron and laboratory radiation sources), Raman scattering and photoluminescence experiments were performed up to a maximum pressure of 21 GPa. In addition, the crystal structure and Raman mode frequencies have been studied by means of first-principles density functional based methods. Results suggest that the compression process of α-Eu2(MoO4)3 can be described by three stages. Below 8 GPa, the α-phase suffers an isotropic contraction of the crystal structure. Between 8 and 12 GPa, the compound undergoes an anisotropic compression due to distortion and rotation of the MoO4 tetrahedra. At pressures above 12 GPa, the amorphization process starts without any previous occurrence of a crystalline-crystalline phase transition in the whole range of pressure. This behavior clearly differs from the process of compression and amorphization in trimolybdates with β′-phase and tritungstates with α-phase.We thank Diamond Light Source for access to beamline I15 (EE1746) that contributed to the results presented here. Part of the diffraction measurements were performed at the 'Servicio Integrado de Difraccion de Rayos X (SIDIX)' of University of La Laguna. This work has been supported by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain (MINECO) for the research projects through the National Program of Materials (MAT2010-21270-C04-01/02/03/04, MAT2013-46649-C41/2/3/4-P and MAT2013-43319-P), the Consolider-Ingenio 2010 MALTA (CSD2007-00045), the project of Generalitat Valenciana (GVA-ACOMP/2014/243) and by the European Union FEDER funds. C Guzman-Afonso wishes to thank ACIISI and FSE for a fellowship. J A Sans thanks the FPI and 'Juan de la Cierva' programs for fellowships.Guzmán-Afonso, C.; León-Luis, S.; Sans-Tresserras, JÁ.; González -Silgo, C.; Rodríguez-Hernández, P.; Radescu, S.;  muñoz, A.... (2015). Experimental and theoretical study of α–Eu2(MoO4)3 under compression. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 27(46):465401-1-465401-11. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/27/46/465401S465401-1465401-11274

Effect of pressure on La-2(WO4)(3) with a modulated scheelite-type structure

We have studied the effect of pressure on the structural and vibrational properties of lanthanum tritungstate La2(WO4)3. This compound crystallizes under ambient conditions in the modulated scheelite-type structure known as the α phase. We have performed x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements up to a pressure of 20 GPa, as well as ab initio calculations within the framework of the density functional theory. Up to 5 GPa, the three methods provide a similar picture of the evolution under pressure of α-La2(WO4)3. At 5 GPa, we begin to observe some structural changes, and above 6 GPa we find that the x-ray patterns cannot be indexed as a single phase. However, we find that a mixture of two phases with C2/c symmetry accounts for all diffraction peaks. Our ab initio study confirms the existence of several C2/c structures, which are very close in energy in this compression range. According to our measurements, a state with medium-range order appears at pressures above 9 and 11 GPa, from x-ray diffraction and Raman experiments, respectively. Based upon our theoretical calculations we propose several high-pressure candidates with high cationic coordinations at these pressures. The compound evolves into a partially amorphous phase at pressures above 20 GPa.We acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad under Grants MAT2010-21270-C04-02/03/04, CTQ2009-14596-C02-01, CSD2007-00045 and the Comunidad de Madrid and European Social Fund S2009/PPQ-1551-4161893. Access to the MALTA Cluster Computer (Universidad de Oviedo), the Atlante Super-computer (Instituto Tecnologico de Canarias, Red Espanola de Supercomputacion), and the MALTA Xcalibur Diffractometer (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) is gratefully acknowledged. C. G. A. wishes to thank the Agencia Canaria de Investigacion, Innovacion y Sociedad de la Informacion, and the European Social Fund of the Gobierno de Canarias for a fellowship. J.A.S. acknowledges financial support through the Juan de la Cierva fellowship program.Sabalisck, N.; Lopez Solano, J.; Guzmán-Afonso, C.; Santamaría Pérez, D.; González-Silgo, C.; Mújica, A.; Muñoz, A.... (2014). Effect of pressure on La-2(WO4)(3) with a modulated scheelite-type structure. Physical Review B (Condensed Matter). 89:1741121-17411211. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.174112S17411211741121189Maczka, M., Souza Filho, A. G., Paraguassu, W., Freire, P. T. C., Mendes Filho, J., & Hanuza, J. (2012). Pressure-induced structural phase transitions and amorphization in selected molybdates and tungstates. Progress in Materials Science, 57(7), 1335-1381. doi:10.1016/j.pmatsci.2012.01.001Boulahya, K., Parras, M., & González-Calbet, J. M. (2005). A Structural Study of the Solid Solution Eu2(Mo1-xWx)3O12. 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Computer Physics Communications, 180(12), 2622-2633. doi:10.1016/j.cpc.2009.03.010Sabalisck, N., Mestres, L., Vendrell, X., Cerdeiras, E., Santamaría, D., Lavin, V., … Guzman-Afonso, M. C. (2011). Amorphization in rare earth tungstates with modulated scheelite-type structure under pressure. Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations of Crystallography, 67(a1), C504-C505. doi:10.1107/s0108767311087228Logvinovich, D., Arakcheeva, A., Pattison, P., Eliseeva, S., Tomeš, P., Marozau, I., & Chapuis, G. (2010). Crystal Structure and Optical and Magnetic Properties of Pr2(MoO4)3. Inorganic Chemistry, 49(4), 1587-1594. doi:10.1021/ic9019876Garg, N., Murli, C., Tyagi, A. K., & Sharma, S. M. (2005). Phase transitions inSc2(WO4)3under high pressure. Physical Review B, 72(6). doi:10.1103/physrevb.72.064106Belsky, A., Hellenbrandt, M., Karen, V. L., & Luksch, P. (2002). New developments in the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD): accessibility in support of materials research and design. 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X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and Raman scattering study of K2BeF4 and comparation to other member of the (beta)-K2SO4 family with ferroelectric -paraelectric transition

Thermal analysis, powder diffraction, and Raman scattering as a function of the temperature were carried out on K2BeF4. Moreover, the crystal structure was determined at 293 K from powder diffraction. The compound shows a transition from Pna21 to Pnam space group at 921 K with a transition enthalpy of 5 kJ/mol. The transition is assumed to be first order because the compound shows metastability. Structurally and spectroscopically the transition is similar to those observed in (NH4)2SO4, which suggests that the low-temperature phase is ferroelectric. In order to confirm it, the spontaneous polarization has been computed using an ionic model

Structures and thermal stability of the [alpha]-LiNH4SO4 polytypes doped with Er3+ and Yb3+

In order to clarify the polymorphism in the lithium sulfate family, LiREx(NH4)1 - xSO4 (0.5 [less-than or equal to] x [less-than or equal to] 4.0 mol%, nominal value; RE = Er3+, Yb3+ and Dy3+) crystals were grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation between 298 and 313 K. The doping of the samples allowed us to obtain two polymorphic forms, [alpha] and [beta], of LiNH4SO4 (LAS). By means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) in single crystals, we determined the crystal structures of two new [alpha]-polytypes, which we have named [alpha]1- and [alpha]2-LAS. They present the same space group P21/c and the following relation among their lattice parameters: a2 = -c1, b2 = -b1, c2 = -2a1 - c1. In order to evaluate the stability of the new [alpha]-polytypes, we performed thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and dielectric spectroscopy on single crystals and polycrystalline samples over the cyclic temperature range: 190 [rightwards arrow] 575 [rightwards arrow] 190 K. The results obtained by all the techniques used in this study demonstrate that [alpha]-polytypes are stable across a wide range of temperatures and they show an irreversible phase transition to the paraelectric [beta]-phase above 500 K. In addition, a comparative study of [alpha]- and [beta]-polytypes shows that both polymorphic structures have a common axis, with a possible intergrowth that facilitates their coexistence and promotes the reconstructive [alpha] [rightwards arrow] [beta] transition. This intergrowth was related to small anomalies detected between 240 and 260 K, in crystals with an [alpha]-habit

Structures and thermal stability of the [alpha]-LiNH4SO4 polytypes doped with Er3+ and Yb3+

In order to clarify the polymorphism in the lithium sulfate family, LiREx(NH4)1 - xSO4 (0.5 [less-than or equal to] x [less-than or equal to] 4.0 mol%, nominal value; RE = Er3+, Yb3+ and Dy3+) crystals were grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation between 298 and 313 K. The doping of the samples allowed us to obtain two polymorphic forms, [alpha] and [beta], of LiNH4SO4 (LAS). By means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) in single crystals, we determined the crystal structures of two new [alpha]-polytypes, which we have named [alpha]1- and [alpha]2-LAS. They present the same space group P21/c and the following relation among their lattice parameters: a2 = -c1, b2 = -b1, c2 = -2a1 - c1. In order to evaluate the stability of the new [alpha]-polytypes, we performed thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and dielectric spectroscopy on single crystals and polycrystalline samples over the cyclic temperature range: 190 [rightwards arrow] 575 [rightwards arrow] 190 K. The results obtained by all the techniques used in this study demonstrate that [alpha]-polytypes are stable across a wide range of temperatures and they show an irreversible phase transition to the paraelectric [beta]-phase above 500 K. In addition, a comparative study of [alpha]- and [beta]-polytypes shows that both polymorphic structures have a common axis, with a possible intergrowth that facilitates their coexistence and promotes the reconstructive [alpha] [rightwards arrow] [beta] transition. This intergrowth was related to small anomalies detected between 240 and 260 K, in crystals with an [alpha]-habit

Effect of pressure on La2(WO4)3 with a modulated scheelite-type structure

We have studied the effect of pressure on the structural and vibrational properties of lanthanum tritungstate La2(WO4)3. This compound crystallizes under ambient conditions in the modulated scheelite-type structure known as the α phase. We have performed x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements up to a pressure of 20 GPa, as well as ab initio calculations within the framework of the density functional theory. Up to 5 GPa, the three methods provide a similar picture of the evolution under pressure of α-La2(WO4)3. At 5 GPa, we begin to observe some structural changes, and above 6 GPa we find that the x-ray patterns cannot be indexed as a single phase. However, we find that a mixture of two phases with C2/c symmetry accounts for all diffraction peaks. Our ab initio study confirms the existence of several C2/c structures, which are very close in energy in this compression range. According to our measurements, a state with medium-range order appears at pressures above 9 and 11 GPa, from x-ray diffraction and Raman experiments, respectively. Based upon our theoretical calculations we propose several high-pressure candidates with high cationic coordinations at these pressures. The compound evolves into a partially amorphous phase at pressures above 20 GPa