Atomic-Scale Tuning of Tsai-Type Clusters in RE-Au-Si Systems (RE = Gd, Tb, Ho).

Tsai-type quasicrystals and approximants are distinguished by a cluster unit made up of four concentric polyhedral shells that surround a tetrahedron at the center. Here we show that for Tsai-type 1/1 approximants in the RE-Au-Si systems (RE = Gd, Tb, Ho) the central tetrahedron of the Tsai clusters can be systematically replaced by a single RE atom. The modified cluster is herein termed a "pseudo-Tsai cluster" and represents, in contrast to the conventional Tsai cluster, a structural motif without internal symmetry breaking. For each system, single-phase samples of both pseudo-Tsai and Tsai-type 1/1 approximants were independently prepared as millimeter-sized, faceted, single crystals using the self-flux synthesis method. The full replacement of tetrahedral moieties by RE atoms in the pseudo-Tsai 1/1 approximants was ascertained by a combination of single-crystal and powder diffraction studies, as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies revealed distinctly higher decomposition temperatures, by 5-35 K, for the pseudo-Tsai phases. Furthermore, the magnetic properties of pseudo-Tsai phases are profoundly and consistently different from the Tsai counterparts. The onset temperatures of magnetic ordering (Tmag) are lowered in the pseudo-Tsai phases by ∼30% from 24 to 17 K, 11.5 to 8 K, and 5 to 3.5 K in the Gd-Au-Si, Tb-Au-Si, and Ho-Au-Si systems, respectively. In addition, the Tb-Au-Si and Ho-Au-Si systems exhibit some qualitative changes in their magnetic ordering, indicating decisive changes in the magnetic state/structure by a moment-bearing atom at the cluster center.

Mysterious SiB3: Identifying the Relation between α- and ß-SiB3.

Binary silicon boride SiB3 has been reported to occur in two forms, as disordered and nonstoichiometric α-SiB3-x , which relates to the α-rhombohedral phase of boron, and as strictly ordered and stoichiometric ß-SiB3. Similar to other boron-rich icosahedral solids, these SiB3 phases represent potentially interesting refractory materials. However, their thermal stability, formation conditions, and thermodynamic relation are poorly understood. Here, we map the formation conditions of α-SiB3-x and ß-SiB3 and analyze their relative thermodynamic stabilities. α-SiB3-x is metastable (with respect to ß-SiB3 and Si), and its formation is kinetically driven. Pure polycrystalline bulk samples may be obtained within hours when heating stoichiometric mixtures of elemental silicon and boron at temperatures 1200-1300 °C. At the same time, α-SiB3-x decomposes into SiB6 and Si, and optimum time-temperature synthesis conditions represent a trade-off between rates of formation and decomposition. The formation of stable ß-SiB3 was observed after prolonged treatment (days to weeks) of elemental mixtures with ratios Si/B = 1:1-1:4 at temperatures 1175-1200 °C. The application of high pressures greatly improves the kinetics of SiB3 formation and allows decoupling of SiB3 formation from decomposition. Quantitative formation of ß-SiB3 was seen at 1100 °C for samples pressurized to 5.5-8 GPa. ß-SiB3 decomposes peritectoidally at temperatures between 1250 and 1300 °C. The highly ordered nature of ß-SiB3 is reflected in its Raman spectrum, which features narrow and distinct lines. In contrast, the Raman spectrum of α-SiB3-x is characterized by broad bands, which show a clear relation to the vibrational modes of isostructural, ordered B6P. The detailed composition and structural properties of disordered α-SiB3-x were ascertained by a combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and 29Si magic angle spinning NMR experiments. Notably, the compositions of polycrystalline bulk samples (obtained at T ≤ 1200 °C) and single crystal samples (obtained from Si-rich molten Si-B mixtures at T > 1400 °C) are different, SiB2.93(7) and SiB2.64(2), respectively. The incorporation of Si in the polar position of B12 icosahedra results in highly strained cluster units. This disorder feature was accounted for in the refined crystal structure model by splitting the polar position into three sites. The electron-precise composition of α-SiB3-x is SiB2.5 and corresponds to the incorporation of, on average, two Si atoms in each B12 icosahedron. Accordingly, α-SiB3-x constitutes a mixture of B10Si2 and B11Si clusters. The structural and phase stability of α-SiB3-x were explored using a first-principles cluster expansion. The most stable composition at 0 K is SiB2.5, which however is unstable with respect to the decomposition ß-SiB3 + Si. Modeling of the configurational and vibrational entropies suggests that α-SiB3-x only becomes more stable than ß-SiB3 at temperatures above its decomposition into SiB6 and Si. Hence, we conclude that α-SiB3-x is metastable at all temperatures. Density functional theory electronic structure calculations yield band gaps of similar size for electron-precise α-SiB2.5 and ß-SiB3, whereas α-SiB3 represents a p-type conductor.

Influence of the Presence of Different Alkali Cations and the Amount of Fe(CN)6 Vacancies on CO2 Adsorption on Copper Hexacyanoferrates.

The CO2 adsorption on various Prussian blue analogue hexacyanoferrates was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. Compositions of prepared phases were verified by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, infra-red spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. The influence of different alkali cations in the cubic Fm3m structures was investigated for nominal compositions A2/3Cu[Fe(CN)6]2/3 with A = vacant, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs. The Rb and Cs compounds show the highest CO2 adsorption per unit cell, 3.3 molecules of CO2 at 20 C and 1 bar, while in terms of mmol/g the Na compound exhibits the highest adsorption capability, 3.8 mmol/g at 20 C and 1 bar. The fastest adsorption/desorption is exhibited by the A-cation free compound and the Li compound. The influence of the amount of Fe(CN)6 vacancies were assessed by determining the CO2 adsorption capabilities of Cu[Fe(CN)6]1/2 (Fm3m symmetry, nominally 50% vacancies), KCu[Fe(CN)6]3/4 (Fm3m symmetry, nominally 25% vacancies), and CsCu[Fe(CN)6] (I-4m2 symmetry, nominally 0% vacancies). Higher adsorption was, as expected, shown on compounds with higher vacancy concentrations.

Synthesis, structure, and properties of the electron-poor II-V semiconductor ZnAs.

ZnAs was synthesized at 6 GPa and 1273 K utilizing multianvil high-pressure techniques and structurally characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction (space group Pbca (No. 61), a = 5.6768(2) Å, b = 7.2796(2) Å, c = 7.5593(2) Å, Z = 8). The compound is isostructural to ZnSb (CdSb type) and displays multicenter bonded rhomboid rings Zn2As2, which are connected to each other by classical two-center, two-electron bonds. At ambient pressure ZnAs is metastable with respect to Zn3As2 and ZnAs2. When heating at a rate of 10 K/min decomposition takes place at ∼700 K. Diffuse reflectance measurements reveal a band gap of 0.9 eV. Electrical resistivity, thermopower, and thermal conductivity were measured in the temperature range of 2-400 K and compared to thermoelectric ZnSb. The room temperature values of the resistivity and thermopower are ∼1 Ω cm and +27 µV/K, respectively. These values are considerably higher and lower, respectively, compared to ZnSb. Above 150 K the thermal conductivity attains low values, around 2 W/m·K, which is similar to that of ZnSb. The heat capacity of ZnAs was measured between 2 and 300 K and partitioned into a Debye and two Einstein contributions with temperatures of θD = 234 K, θE1 = 95 K, and θE2 = 353 K. Heat capacity and thermal conductivity of ZnSb and ZnAs show very similar features, which possibly relates to their common electron-poor bonding properties.

Syntheses optimization, structural and thermoelectric properties of 1/1 Tsai-type quasicrystal approximants in RE-Au-SM systems (RE=Yb, Gd and SM=Si, Ge).

Yb-Cd (Tsai-type) quasicrystals constitute the largest icosahedral quasicrystal family where Yb can be replaced by other rare earth elements (RE) and Cd by pairs of p- and d-block elements. YbCd6 is a prototype 1/1 Tsai-type approximant phase which has a similar local structure to the Yb-Cd quasicrystal. In this study, the syntheses of Yb15.78Au65.22Ge19.00, Gd14.34Au67.16Ge18.5 and Gd14.19Au69.87Si15.94 Tsai-type 1/1 quasicrystal approximants are optimized using the self-flux technique. The crystal structures of the compounds are refined by collecting single crystal x-ray diffraction data. The structural refinements indicated that the compounds are essentially isostructural with some differences at their cluster centers. The basic polyhedral cluster unit in all the three compounds can be described by concentric shells of icosahedra symmetry and of disordered tetrahedra and/or a rare earth atom at the cluster center. Furthermore, the thermoelectric properties of the compounds are probed and their dimensionless figures of merit are calculated at different temperatures. A significant difference is observed in their thermoelectric properties, which could arise due to the slight difference in their crystal structure and chemical composition, as we move from Ge to Si and/or Gd to Yb. Therefore, this study shows the systematic effect of the chemical substitution of structurally similar materials on their thermoelectric properties.