Crystal structure refinements of the three-layer Aurivillius ceramics Bi2Sr2−xAxNb2TiO12 (A=Ca,Ba, x=0,0.5,1) using combined X-ray and neutron powder diffraction

Reactive species specific RhB assisted collective photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotics with triple-layer Aurivillius perovskites

Triple-layer Aurivillius perovskites degrade tetracycline antibiotic and rhodamine B together in acidic aqueous solution. Primarily the superoxide radical generated via a semiconductor assisted dye sensitization process degrades the tetracycline.

Interlayer Communication in Aurivillius Vanadate to Enable Defect Structures and Charge Ordering

The fluorite-like [Bi2O2](2+) layer is a fundamental building unit in a great variety of layered compounds. Here in this contribution, we presented a comprehensive study on an unusual Aurivillius phase Bi3.6V2O10 with respect to its defect chemistry and polymorphism control as well as implications for fast oxide ion transport at lower temperatures. The bismuth oxide layer in Bi4V2O11 is found to tolerate a large number of Bi vacancies without breaking the high temperature prototype I4/mmm structure (γ-phase). On cooling, an orthorhombic distortion occurs to the γ-phase, giving rise to a different type of phase (B-phase) in the intermediate temperature region. Cooling to room temperature causes a further transition to an oxygen-vacancy ordered A-phase, which is accompanied by the charge ordering of V(4+) and V(5+) cations, providing magnetic (d(1)) and nonmagnetic (d(0)) chains along the a axis. This is a novel charge ordering transition in terms of the concomitant change of oxygen coordination. Interestingly, upon quenching, both the γ- and B-phase can be kinetically trapped, enabling the structural probing of the two phases at ambient temperature. Driven by the thermodynamic forces, the oxide anion in the γ-phase undergoes an interlayer diffusion process to reshuffle the compositions of both Bi-O and V-O layers.