scholarly journals Neutron diffraction investigation of the temperature dependence of crystal structure and thermal motions of red HgI2

2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Schwarzenbach ◽  
Henrik Birkedal ◽  
Marc Hostettler ◽  
Peter Fischer

The structure of, and anisotropic thermal motions in, the red semiconductor tetrahedral layer structure of HgI2 have been studied with neutron powder diffraction as a function of temperature from 10 to 293 K. Average thermal displacement parameters U eq of the two atoms are comparable in size at 10 K, but U eq(Hg) increases considerably faster with temperature than U eq(I), the Hg—I bond being highly non-rigid. The anisotropic displacement tensor U (I) is strongly anisotropic with one term about twice as large as the others, while U (Hg) is nearly isotropic. All displacement tensor elements, except U 22(I), increase faster with temperature than harmonic quantum oscillator curves indicating a softening of the isolated-atom potentials at large amplitudes. A lattice dynamical model provides arguments that the anisotropic thermal motions of I are dominated by a soft mode with a wavevector at the [½ ½ 0] boundary of the Brillouin zone consisting essentially of coupled librations of the HgI4 tetrahedra, and by translations of the entire layer. The large vibration amplitudes of Hg suggest weak Hg–I force constants compared with the I–I force constants, allowing Hg to move quite freely inside the tetrahedra. The libration mode induces dynamic deformations of the Hg—I bond with twice its frequency. This provides a mechanism for the anharmonicity and may explain the lightening of the color from red to orange upon cooling at ca 80 K.

2005 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sitepu ◽  
Heinz Günter Brokmeier

The modelling and/or describing of texture (i.e. preferred crystallographic orientation (PO)) is of critical importance in powder diffraction analysis - for structural study and phase composition. In the present study, the GSAS Rietveld refinement with generalized spherical harmonic (GSH) was used for describing isostatically-pressed molybdite powders neutron powder diffraction data collected in the ILL D1A instrument. The results showed that for texture in a single ND data of molybdite the reasonable crystal structure parameters may be obtained when applying corrections to intensities using the GSH description. Furthermore, the WIMV method was used to extract the texture description directly from a simultaneous refinement with 1368 whole neutron diffraction patterns taken from the sample held in a variety of orientations in the ILL D1B texture goniometer. The results provided a quantitative description of the texture refined simultaneously with the crystal structure. Finally, the (002) molybdite pole-figures were measured using the GKSS TEX2 texture goniometer. The results showed that neutron diffraction is an excellent tool to investigate the texture in molybdite.


MRS Bulletin ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
Paolo G. Radaelli ◽  
James D. Jorgensen

The discovery and development of new materials is the foundation of the science and technology “food chains.” Examples of new materials with novel properties that have stimulated new scientific questions and/or led to new technologies include liquid crystals, advanced batteries, structural ceramics, dielectrics, ferroelectrics, catalysts, high-temperature superconductors, har dmagnets, and magnetoresistive devices. Establishing the crystal structure of a newly discovered Compound is a mandatory first step, but the most important contribution of diffraction techniques is to provide an understanding of the relationships among chemical composition, crystal structure, and physical behavior. In this way, diffraction experiments provide critical Information for testing theories that explain novel behavior and guide the optimization of new materials to meet the demands of emerging technologies.The first samples of newly discovered materials are often polycrystalline. With state-of-the-art neutron powder diffraction data and Rietveld refinement techniques, for structures of modest complexity, the precision for atom positions rivals that obtained by single-crystal diffraction. Rietveld refinement is a method of obtaining accurate values for atom positions and other structural parameters from powder diffraction data by least-squares fitting of a calculated model to the full diffraction pattern. As evidence of thi s success, the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database contains 6044 entries from neutron powder diffraction, 7096 from laboratory x-ray powder diffraction, an d 228 from Synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction. Other reasons for the rapidly growing impact of neutron diffraction include the favorable neutron-scattering cross sections for light elements, the sensitivity to magnetic moments, and the ability to penetrate special sample environments for in situ studies. These strengths are widely accepted and have been exploited for many years. Previous reviews have focused on these topics.


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1406-1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Levin ◽  
Tammy G. Amos ◽  
Juan C. Nino ◽  
Terrell A. Vanderah ◽  
Ian M. Reaney ◽  
...  

The crystal structure of Bi2Zn2/3Nb4/3O7 was determined using a combination of electron, x-ray, and neutron powder diffraction. The compound crystallizes with a monoclinic zirconolite-like structure [C2/c (No.15) space group, a = 13.1037(9) Å, b = 7.6735(3) Å, c = 12.1584(6) Å, β = 101.318(5)°]. According to structural refinement using neutron diffraction data, Nb preferentially occupies six-fold coordinated sites in octahedral sheets parallel to the (001) planes, while Zn is statistically distributed between two half-occupied (5 + 1)-fold coordinated sites near the centers of six-membered rings of [Nb(Zn)O6] octahedra. The Nb/Zn cation layers alternate along the c-axis with Bi-layers, in which Bi cations occupy both eight- and seven-fold coordinated sites. The eight-fold coordinated Bi atoms exhibited strongly anisotropic thermal displacements with an abnormally large component directed approximately along the c-axis (normal to the octahedral layers).


1965 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 2812-2826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osvald Knop ◽  
François Brisse ◽  
Lotte Castelliz

The crystal structure of erbium titanate, Er2Ti2O7, has been shown by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction to be of the cubic pyrochlore type, with ao = 10.0762 ± 6 Å. Least-squares isotropic refinement based on resolved single reflections gave x(O2) = 0.4200 ± 10 and R = 2.25%. Ionic and neutral X-ray scattering factors gave practically identical results. The six equal Ti—O2 distances in the distorted coordination octahedron of the Ti atom are 1.955 ± 5 Å. The two short (apparent) Er—O distances are 2.1815 ± 5 Å (Er—O1) and 2.471 ± 8 Å (Er—O2). The infrared spectrum of the titanate in the region 1 600 to 250 cm−1 shows features similar to those encountered in the spectra of other simple oxygen compounds of titanium.


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Manoun ◽  
A. El Jazouli ◽  
P. Gravereau ◽  
J. P. Chaminade ◽  
F. Bouree

The structure of the oxyphosphate Li0.50Ni0.25TiO(PO4) has been determined from conventional X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data. The parameters of the monoclinic cell (space group P21/c, Z=4), obtained from X-ray results, are: a=6.3954(6) Å, b=7.2599(6) Å, c=7.3700(5) Å, and β=90.266(6)°; those resulting from neutron study are: a=6.3906(7) Å, b=7.2568(7) Å, c=7.3673(9) Å, and β=90.234(7)°. Refinement by the Rietveld method using whole profile, leads to satisfactory reliability factors: cRwp=0.128, cRp=0.100, and RB=0.038 for X-ray and cRwp=0.110, cRp=0.120, and RB=0.060 for neutrons. The structure of Li0.50Ni0.25TiO(PO4) can be described as a TiOPO4 framework constituted by chains of tilted corner-sharing TiO6 octahedra running parallel to the c axis and cross linked by phosphate tetrahedra. In this framework, there are octahedral cavities occupied by Li and Ni atoms: Li occupies the totality of the 2a sites and Ni occupies statistically half of the 2b sites. Ti atoms are displaced from the center of octahedra units in alternating long (2.242 Å) and short (1.711 Å) Ti–O bonds along chains.


2000 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Reece ◽  
S. A. T. Redfern ◽  
M. D. Welch ◽  
C. M. B. Henderson

AbstractThe crystal structure of a manganoan cummingtonite, composition [M4](Na0.13Ca0.41Mg0.46Mn1.00) [M1,2,3](Mg4.87Mn0.13)(Si8O22)(OH)2, (Z = 2), a = 9.5539(2) Å, b = 18.0293(3) Å, c = 5.2999(1) Å, β = 102.614(2)° from Talcville, New York, has been refined at high temperature using in situ neutron powder diffraction. The P21/m to C2/m phase transition, observed as spontaneous strains +ε1 = −ε2, occurs at ˜107°C. Long-range disordering between Mg2+ and Mn2+ on the M(4) and M(2) sites occurs above 550°C. Mn2+ occupies the M(4) and M(2) sites preferring M(4) with a site-preference energy of 24.6±1.5 kJ mol−1. Disordering induces an increase in XMnM2 and decrease in XMnM4 at elevated temperatures. Upon cooling, the ordered states of cation occupancy are ‘frozen in’ and strains in lattice parameters are maintained, suggesting that re-equilibration during cooling has not taken place.


Author(s):  
Cristina de la Calle ◽  
José Antonio Alonso ◽  
Ainara Aguadero ◽  
Maria Teresa Fernández-Díaz ◽  
Florence Porcher

AbstractThe preparation and characterization of two polymorphs of the title composition are described. One hexagonal perovskite, labeled as “H”, was synthesized by thermal treatment of reactive citrate precursor at 900 °C in high oxygen pressure (20 MPa) followed by slow cooling (10 °C/min) to room temperature. This 1D-structure displays aThe evolution of the crystal structure of the 3C phase has been explored


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