ABSTRACT
The possible existence of an intermediate spin state is now a few decades fascinating solid state chemists and physicists, experimentalists, and theoreticians. In this article, we revise some recent results on the stability diagrams of spin states, low, high, or intermediate, in distorted environments and extend their approach to redraw more realistic diagrams for d(4), d(5), and d(6) ions in a tetragonally distorted 6-fold oxygen environment (D4h, D2d, and C4ν). The model relies on a point charge model and further uses effective parameters to account for the cubic field drift on spin state change and for suitable values for solid state of the expectation values of the 3d-radial wave functions; additionally the model uses rational parameters to characterize the distortion; finally, we also consider the possible existence of states' combinations to propose reliable stability diagrams. Whatever the representation involved in the distortion, the existence domain of the intermediate spin state appears very small and more likely replaced with mixtures of cations in low and high spin states; the opportunity of induced distortive ordering is discussed.
ABSTRACT
The present study provides a rapid way to obtain VO2 (B) under economical and environmentally friendly conditions. VO2 (B) is one of the well-known polymorphs of vanadium dioxide and is a promising cathode material for aqueous lithium ion batteries. VO2 (B) was successfully synthesized by rapid single-step hydrothermal process using V2O5 and citric acid as precursors. The present study shows that phase-pure VO2 (B) polytype can be easily obtained at 180 °C for 2 h and 220 °C for 1 h, that is, the lowest combination of temperature and duration reported so far. The obtained VO2 (B) is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, we present an indirect way to obtain VO2 (M1) by annealing VO2 (B) under vacuum for 1 h.
ABSTRACT
Artificial tuning of dielectric parameters can result from interface conductivity in polycrystalline materials. In ferroelectric single crystals, it has already been shown that ferroelectric domain walls can be the source of such artificial coupling. We show here that low-temperature dielectric losses can be tuned by a dc magnetic field. Since such losses were previously ascribed to polaron relaxation we suggest this results from the interaction of hopping polarons with the magnetic field. The fact that this loss alteration has no counterpart in the real part of the dielectric permittivity confirms that no interface is involved in this purely dynamical effect. The contribution of mobile charges hopping among Fe-related centers was confirmed by ESR spectroscopy, showing a maximum intensity at ca T ~ 40 K.
Subject(s)
Barium Compounds/chemistry , Iron/chemistry , Titanium/chemistry , Magnetic Fields , Materials TestingABSTRACT
Synthesized powders and grown single crystals of nominal compositions Li(6)Ln(BO(3))(3):Yb(3+) (Ln=Y, Gd) were investigated by means of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as optical near-IR spectroscopy in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The appearance of two distinct zero-phonon lines suggests the existence of two kinds of Yb(3+) ions in the single crystals. The XRD results exclude the possibility of a phase transition occurring between room and low temperatures. EPR spectra of single crystals show the presence of both isolated ions and pairs of ytterbium ions substituted for Y(3+). A strong temperature dependence of the intensity of Yb-Yb pairs resonance lines coincides with temperature dependence of emission peak at 978 nm, confirming a common origin of the defect giving rise to these spectra. Calculated from EPR spectra, the distance between pairs of Yb(3+) is in good agreement with crystallographic ones: R=3.856 Å, R(cryst) =3.849 Å.
