High-temperature heat capacity and vibrational spectra of Eu<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

The Eu₂Sn₂O₇ compound has been prepared by solid-state reaction (by sequentially firing a stoichiometric mixture of Eu₂O₃ and SnO₂ in air at 1273 and 1473 K) and its heat capacity has been determined by differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range 370–1000 K. The heat capacity data have been used to evaluate the thermodynamic properties of europium stannate: enthalpy increment H°(T)–H°(370 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(370 K), and reduced Gibbs energy Ф°(T). Raman spectra of Eu₂Sn₂O₇ polycrystals with the pyrochlore structure have been measured in the range 200–1200 cm^–1.     

Synthesis and high-temperature heat capacity of Gd<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

Gd₂Sn₂O₇ gadolinium stannate with the pyrochlore structure has been prepared by solid-state reaction and its high-temperature heat capacity has been determined by differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range 350–1020 K. The C_p(T) data are shown to be well represented by the classic Maier–Kelley equation. The experimental C_p(T) data have been used to evaluate the thermodynamic functions of gadolinium stannate: enthalpy increment H°(T)–H°(339 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(339 K), and reduced Gibbs energy Ф°(Т).     

High-temperature heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of Tb<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

Tb₂Sn₂O₇ has been prepared by solid-state reaction in air at 1473 K over a period of 200 h and its isobaric heat capacity has been studied experimentally in the range 350–1073 K. The C _p(T) data for this compound have no extrema and are well represented by the classic Maier–Kelley equation. The experimental C _p(T) data have been used to evaluate the thermodynamic properties of terbium stannate (pyrochlore structure): enthalpy increment H°(T)–H°(350 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(350 K), and reduced Gibbs energy Ф°(Т).     

Synthesis and High-Temperature Heat Capacity of Dy<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and Ho<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

The Dy₂Ge₂O₇ and Ho₂Ge₂O₇ pyrogermanates have been prepared by solid-state reactions in several sequential firing steps in the temperature range 1237–1473 K using stoichiometric mixtures of Dy₂O₃ (or Ho₂O₃) and GeO₂. The heat capacity of the synthesized germanates has been determined as a function of temperature by differential scanning calorimetry in the range 350–1000 K. The experimentally determined C _p (T) curves of the dysprosium and holmium germanates have no anomalies and are well represented by the Maier–Kelley equation. The experimental C _p (T) data have been used to evaluate the thermodynamic functions of the Dy₂Ge₂O₇ and Ho₂Ge₂O₇ pyrogermanates: enthalpy increment H°(T)–H°(350 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(350 K), and reduced Gibbs energy Ф°(T).     

Synthesis and High-Temperature Heat Capacity of Sm<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and Eu<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

The Sm₂Ge₂O₇ and Eu₂Ge₂O₇ germanates have been prepared by solid-state reactions via multistep firing of stoichiometric mixtures of Sm₂O₃ (Eu₂O₃) and GeO₂ in air at temperatures from 1273 to 1473 K. The molar heat capacity of the samarium and europium germanates has been determined by differential scanning calorimetry in the range 350–1000 K and the C _p (T) data have been used to evaluate their thermodynamic properties.     

New,thermally stable Gd<Subscript>11</Subscript>(GeO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>10</Subscript>-based upconversion phosphors

A series of Gd_11–x–y Yb _x Er _y GeP₃O₂₆ germanate phosphates differing in the ratio of the Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ active ions have been synthesized, and their luminescence spectra have been measured. According to X-ray diffraction characterization results, all of the synthesized germanate phosphates are single-phase and have a triclinic structure (sp. gr. P1). We have measured upconversion luminescence spectra due to the Er^{3+ 2}H_11/2, ⁴S_3/2 → ⁴I_15/2 and ⁴F_9/2 → ⁴I_15/2 radiative transitions in the synthesized gadolinium ytterbium erbium germanate phosphates and determined the luminescence upconversion energy yield (B _en) in Gd_11–x–y Yb _x Er _y GeP₃O₂₆. The effects of the concentrations and ratio of the dopants in the Gd₁₁(GeO₄)(PO₄)₃O₁₀ germanate phosphate host on B _en and the ratio of the luminescence intensities in the red and green spectral regions (R/G) have been assessed.     

Growth and properties of LiCu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-NaCu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystals

Platelike Li_{1 ? x} Na _x Cu₂O₂ single crystals up to 2 × 10 × 10 mm in dimensions have been grown by slowly cooling (1 ? x)Li₂CO₃·xNa₂O₂·4CuO melts in alundum crucibles in air. Li_{1 ? x} Na _x Cu₂O₂ solid solutions in the LiCu₂O₂-NaCu₂O₂ system have been shown to exist in the composition range 0.78 < x < 1. The temperature stability ranges of NaCu₂O₂ and LiCu₂O₂ are 780–930 and 890–1050°C, respectively. The Mössbauer spectra and electrical conductivity of the crystals have been measured.     

Solid-state reactions in the system Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>CO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>CO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>-Ta<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>

The formation mechanisms of Li _x Na_{1 ?x} Ta _y Nb_{1 ? y} O₃ perovskite solid solutions in the Li₂CO₃-Na₂CO₃-Nb₂O₅-Ta₂O₅ system have been studied by x-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetry, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry at temperatures from 300 to 1100°C. The results indicate that the synthesis of Li _x Na_{1 ? x} Ta _y Nb_{1 ? y} O₃ solid solutions involves a complex sequence of consecutive and parallel solid-state reactions. An optimized synthesis procedure for Li _x Na_{1 ? x} Ta _y Nb_{1 ? y} O₃ solid solutions is proposed.     

Crystallization from high-temperature solutions in the K<Subscript>2</Subscript>O-P<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>-V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>-Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

We have studied general trends of crystallization from high-temperature solutions in the K₂O-P₂O₅-V₂O₅-Bi₂O₃ system at P/V = 0.5?2.0, K/(P + V) = 0.7?1.4, and Bi₂O₃ contents from 25 to 50 wt % and identified the stability regions of BiPO₄, K₃Bi₅(PO₄)₆, K₂Bi₃O(PO₄)₃, and K₃Bi₂(PO₄)_{3 ? x} (VO₄) _x (x = 0?3) solid solutions. The synthesized compounds have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and IR spectroscopy, and the structure of two solid solutions has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (sp. gr. C ₂/c): K₃Bi₂(PO₄)₂(VO₄), a = 13.8857(8), b = 13.5432(5), c = 6.8679(4) Å, β = 114.031(7)°; K₃Bi₂(PO₄)_1.25(VO₄)_1.75, a = 13.907(4), b = 13.615(2), c = 6.956(2) Å, β = 113.52(4)°.     

Thermodynamic Properties of FeNb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> and FeTa<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript>

Empirical calculational approaches have been used to evaluate the enthalpy, entropy, heat capacity, and melting point of iron(II) niobate and iron(II) tantalate and the coefficients A, B, and C in an equation for the temperature dependence of their heat capacity. The melting point of FeTa₂O₆ has been experimentally determined to be 1891 ± 5 K. The calculated heat capacity (C°_p (298.15 K)) of iron tantalate and the Gibbs energies of formation of FeN₂O₆ and FeTa₂O₆ have been compared to previously reported data.     

Electrical conductivity of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Tm<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> solid solutions

New solid solutions, Bi_2?x?y Tm _x Nb _y O_3+δ, with tetragonal and cubic structures have been synthesized in the Bi₂O₃-Tm₂O₃-Nb₂O₅ system, and their electrical conductivity has been measured at temperatures from 670 to 1020 K. The 1020-K conductivity of the tetragonal solid solution Bi_1.8Tm_0.15Nb_0.05O_3+δ is comparable to that of Bi_1.75Tm_0.25O₃, the best conductor in the Bi₂O₃-Tm₂O₃ system.     

Synthesis and x-ray diffraction study of solid solutions in the Zn<Subscript>2</Subscript>SnO<Subscript>4</Subscript>-Zn<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>4</Subscript>-Zn<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZrO<Subscript>4</Subscript> system

The multicomponent refractory oxide system Zn₂(Ti_aSn_b)_{1 ? x} Zr_xO₄ (a + b = 1; a: b = 1: 5, 1: 4, 1: 3, 1: 2, 1: 1, 1: 0, 2: 1, 3: 1, 4: 1; x = 0?1.0; Δx = 0.05) has been studied by x-ray diffraction, using samples prepared by melting appropriate oxide mixtures in a low-temperature hydrogen-oxygen plasma. Two phases, both with wide homogeneity ranges, have been identified: α-phase, with a cubic inverse spinel structure, and β-phase, with a tetragonal spinel structure. The phase boundaries in the system have been determined. Structural data are presented for about 100 solid solutions of different compositions.     

Ultralow thermal conductivity of cerium-doped Nd<Subscript>2</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> over a wide doping range

In this paper, we report an ultralow thermal conductivity and a high-temperature phase stability of the (Nd_1?x Ce _x )₂Zr₂O_7+x system over the temperature range from room temperature to 1600 °C and over a wide composition range (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.8), and the (Nd_1?x Ce _x )₂Zr₂O_7+x system is therefore considered a strong candidate material for the fabrication of next-generation high-temperature thermal barrier coatings. The observed thermal conductivities (0.65–1.0 W/mK) are about 60–40% lower than those of undoped Nd₂Zr₂O₇ over the same temperature range (100–700 °C) and indicate a glass-like behavior. For comparison, the variation in the thermal conductivity with the temperature of the (Gd_1?x Ce _x )₂Zr₂O_7+x system with similar point defects was also measured, and the observed behavior was almost the same as that of undoped Gd₂Zr₂O₇ and was mostly determined by phonon–phonon scattering (λ ∝ 1/T). The effect of point defect scattering and strong phonon scattering sources (rattlers) on the thermal conductivity is also discussed in this paper. The results of this study suggest that the ultralow thermal conductivity of (Nd_1?x Ce _x )₂Zr₂O_7+x can be attributed to the presence of rattlers because of the large difference between the ionic radii of the Nd³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ ions.     

V<Subscript>3.047</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>, a new high-pressure oxide with the simpsonite structure

Reaction between α-V₂O₅ and NaN₃ has been studied at pressures from 5.0 to 6.0 GPa and temperatures from 600 to 800°C using Toroid high-pressure chambers. A new oxide, V_3.047O₇ (VO_2.297), isostructural with simpsonite, Al₄Ta₃O₁₃(OH), has been detected in samples with the initial composition 0.2NaN₃ · V₂O₅ after high-temperature, high-pressure processing at p = 5.0 GPa and t = 800°C for 2 min. The crystal structure of the oxide has been refined by the Rietveld method using X-ray powder diffraction data: a = 7.35136(2) Å, c = 4.51462(2) Å, V = 211.294(1) ų, Z = 2, sp. gr. P3. Each vanadium atom in this structure is coordinated by six oxygens in the form of a [VO₆] octahedron. The synthesized oxide is a second compound with the simpsonite structure. We have measured the infrared transmission and Raman spectra of V_3.047O₇. Electrical measurements have demonstrated that the material is a semiconductor.     

Synthesis and high-temperature electrical conductivity of Ln<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and LnYTi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> (Ln = Dy,Ho)

Ho₂Ti₂O₇ and LnYTi₂O₇ (Ln = Dy, Ho) pyrochlores have been synthesized using hydroxide coprecipitation, mechanical activation, and firing at 1600°C. The bulk and grain-boundary components of their conductivity have been determined for the first time by impedance spectroscopy. The 740°C bulk conductivity of Ho₂Ti₂O₇ is 4 × 10^?4 S/cm, and that of HoYTi₂O₇ is 1 × 10^?3 S/cm, with activation energies E _a = 1.01 and 1.17 eV, respectively, suggesting that these materials are new oxygen-ion conductors. The bulk conductivity of DyYTi₂O₇ (3 × 10^?4 S/cm at 740°C, E _a = 1.09 eV) is almost one order of magnitude lower than that of HoYTi₂O₇ (1 × 10^?3 S/cm at 740°C, E _a = 1.17 eV).     

Synthesis and structure of the CsSmP<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> cyclotetraphosphate (cubic CsNdP<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> structure)

CsSmP₄O₁₂ crystals have been prepared at 300°C in molten polyphosphoric acids containing Cs, Mg, and Sm cations, and their crystal structure has been determined: sp. gr. I \(\bar 4\) 3d, a = 15.1225(8) Å, Z = 12, CsNdP₄O₁₂ structure.     

Crystal structure of KNa<Subscript>3</Subscript>[(UO<Subscript>2</Subscript>)<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript>(SO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)]

The crystal structure of a previously unknown compound KNa₃[(UO₂)₅O₆(SO₄)] [space group Pbca, a = 13.2855(15), b = 13.7258(18), c = 19.712(2) Å, V = 3594.6(7) ų] was solved by direct methods and refined to R ₁ = 0.055 for 3022 reflections with |F _hkl | ≥ 4σ |F _hkl |. In the structure there are five sym-metrically nonequivalent uranyl cations. They are linked by cationcation (CC) interactions to form a pentamer whose central cation is U(2)O ₂ ²⁺ forming two three-centered CC bonds. All the uranyl ions are coordinated in the equatorial plane by five O atoms, which leads to the formation of pentagonal bipyramids sharing common edges to form layers parallel to the (100) plane. The sulfate tetrahedron links the uranyl layers into a 3D framework. The K⁺ and Na⁺ cations are arranged in framework voids. A brief review of CC interactions in U(VI) compounds is presented.     

Influence of isovalent and heterovalent substitution for Bi<Superscript>3+</Superscript> and Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript> on the properties of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>9</Subscript>-based solid solutions

Bi_2–хLa_хFe₄O₉ and Bi₂Fe_4–2xTi_xCo_xO₉ ferrites have been prepared by solid-state reactions at a temperature of 1073 K. X-ray diffraction data indicate that, in the Bi_2–хLa_хFe₄O₉ system, the limiting degree of La³⁺ substitution for Bi³⁺ ions in Bi₂Fe₄O₉ does not exceed 0.05 and that the limiting degree of substitution in the Bi₂Fe_4–2xTi_xCo_xO₉ system lies in the range 0.05 < x < 0.1. The specific magnetization and specific magnetic susceptibility of the samples have been measured at temperatures from 5 to 300 K in a magnetic field of 0.86 T. The field dependences of magnetization obtained for the Bi_2–хLa_хFe₄O₉ and Bi₂Fe_4–2xTi_xCo_xO₉ ferrites at temperatures of 300 and 5 K demonstrate that partial isovalent substitution of La³⁺ for Bi³⁺ ions in Bi₂Fe₄O₉ and heterovalent substitution of Ti⁴⁺ and Co²⁺ ions for two Fe³⁺ ions leads to partial breakdown of the antiferromagnetic state and nucleation of a ferromagnetic state.     

Structure and electrical properties of MnO doped (Ba<Subscript>0.96</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.04</Subscript>)(Ti<Subscript>0.92</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>0.08</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> lead free ceramics

In this work, (Ba_0.96Ca_0.04)(Ti_0.92Sn_0.08)O₃–xmol MnO (BCTS–xMn) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were fabricated by the conventional solid-state technique. The composition dependence (0 ≤ x ≤ 3.0 %) of the microstructure, phase structure, and electrical properties was systematically investigated. An O–T phase structure was obtained in all ceramics, and the sintering behavior of the BCTS ceramics was gradually improved by doping MnO content. In addition, the relationship between poling temperature and piezoelectric activity was discussed. The ceramics with x = 1.5 % sintering at temperature of 1330 °C demonstrated an optimum electrical behavior: d ₃₃ ~ 475 pC/N, k _p ~ 50 %, ε _r ~ 4060, tanδ ~ 0.4 %, P _r ~ 10.3 μC/cm², E _c ~ 1.35 kV/mm, T _C ~ 82 °C, strain ~0.114 % and \(d_{33}^{*}\) ~ 525 pm/V. As a result, we achieved a preferable electric performance in BaTiO₃-based ceramics with lower sintering temperature, suggesting that the BCTS–xMn material system is a promising candidate for lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.     

Crystal structures of Ln<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> (Ln = Gd,Dy) polymorphs

Single crystals of four Ln₂TiO₅ polymorphs have been grown, and their structures have been determined: orthorhombic (Gd₂TiO₅, a = 10.460(5), b = 11.317(6), c = 3.750(3) Å, Pnam, Z = 4), hexagonal (Gd_1.8Lu_0.2TiO₅, a = 3.663(3), c = 11.98(1) Å, P6₃/mmc, Z = 1.2), cubic (Dy₂TiO₅, a = 10.28(1) Å, Fd3m, Z = 10.4), and monoclinic (Dy₂TiO₅, a = 10.33(1), b = 3.653(5), c = 7.306(6) Å, β = 90.00(7)°, B2/m, Z = 2.4). The last polymorph has been identified for the first time.