Synthesis, structures and properties of two new selenite optical materials: K2Zn3Se4O12 and K4Zn3V4Se2O19

Two new selenites, K2Zn3Se4O12 (compound 1) and K4Zn3V4Se2O19 (compound 2), have been successfully synthesized by solid-state reactions in vacuum tubes. Compound 1 consists of a three-dimensional (3D) framework with [SeO3] triangular pyramids and [ZnO4] tetrahedra in the monoclinic space group P21/c (No. 14). Compound 1's cut-off edge is below 344 nm, based on its UV-Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance studies, and theoretical calculations indicate a birefringence of around 0.043 at 1064 nm. The two-dimensional layer of compound 2, in contrast, is made up of [SeO3] triangular pyramids, [ZnO4] tetrahedra, and [V4O13] tetrahedra. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c (No. 15). Its UV-Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance studies demonstrate that the compound's cut-off edge is lower than 330 nm.

Expansion of the structural diversity of f-element bearing molybdate iodates: synthesis, structures, and optical properties

Expanding the family of f-element bearing molybdate iodates has resulted in eleven new complexes with periodically evolved topologies and intriguing optical properties.

A Large Family of Centrosymmetric and Chiral f-Element-Bearing Iodate Selenates Exhibiting Coordination Number and Dimensional Reductions

The exploration of phase formation in the f-element-bearing iodate selenate system has resulted in 14 novel rare-earth-containing iodate selenates, Ln(IO₃)(SeO₄) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd; LnISeO-1), Ln(IO₃)(SeO₄)(H₂O) (Ln = Sm, Eu; LnISeO-2), and Ln(IO₃)(SeO₄)(H₂O)₂·H₂O (Ln = Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y; LnISeO-3), as well as two new thorium iodate selenates, Th(OH)(IO₃)(SeO₄)(H₂O) (ThISeO-1) and Th(IO₃)₂(SeO₄) (ThISeO-2). LnISeO-3 and ThISeO-2 crystallize in the chiral space group P2₁2₁2₁, while LnISeO-1, LnISeO-2, and ThISeO-1 crystallize in the centrosymmetric space group P2₁/c. The numbers of both coordinating and hydrating water molecules crystallized in LnISeO-1, LnISeO-2, and LnISeO-3 increase along these three series, in line with the increasingly negative values of hydration enthalpies of heavier trivalent lanthanide ions. Such a systematic change in compositions, especially the first coordination sphere of Ln, further induces structural rearrangements, including coordination number and dimensional reductions. More specifically, the structures of LnISeO-1, LnISeO-2, and LnISeO-3 have undergone transitions from 2D Ln-oxo layers with 10-coordinate Ln centers to 1D Ln-oxo chains with 9-coordinate Ln centers and then to 0D Ln-oxo monomers with 8-coordinate Ln centers, respectively. The formation and characterization of this large family of Ln/Th iodate selenates suggest that such a mixed-anion system not only exhibits richer structural chemistry but also can be capable of generating intriguing properties, such as the second-harmonic generation (SHG) effect.

Rich Non-centrosymmetry in a Na-U-Te Oxo-System Achieved under Extreme Conditions

Two new sodium uranyl tellurites and two new sodium uranyl tellurates have been synthesized from high-temperature/high-pressure conditions and structurally characterized. We demonstrated that crystalline phases, forming in a Na-U-Te system under extreme conditions, appear to favorably have non-centrosymmetric structures. Three out of four novel uranyl tellurium compounds, Na[(UO2)Te(IV)2O5(OH)], Na2[(UO2)(Te(VI)2O8)], and Na2[(UO2)Te(VI)O5], crystallize in non-centrosymmetric space groups. The crystal structure of Na[(UO2)Te(IV)2O5(OH)] is based on two-dimensional [UO2Te2O5(OH)](-) corrugated sheets, which are charge balanced by guest Na(+) cations. The structure of Na2[(UO2)Te(VI)2O8] is constructed from [(UO2)2Te2O8](2+) anionic layers composed of UO7 pentagonal bipyramids and TeO6 octahedra. Na2[(UO2)(Te(VI)O5)] is a new type of three-dimensional anionic open framework built from the interconnection of UO7 pentagonal bipyramids and TeO6 octahedra with different types of interlacing channels within the U-Te anionic framework. Na[(UO2)Te(IV)6O13(OH)], as the only centrosymmetric compound isolated in the Na-U-Te family, is crystallized in space group Pa3̅, and its structure is highly related to that of cliffordite (UO2(Te3O7)), which is composed from UO8 hexagonal bipyramids and TeO5 square pyramids. The vibrational modes associated with U-O, Te(IV)-O, and Te(VI)-O bonds are discussed, and the Raman spectra of the four compounds are characterized for signature bands.

Effects of Te(IV) Oxo-Anion Incorporation into Thorium Molybdates and Tungstates

The exploration of phase formation in the Th-Mo/W-Te systems has resulted in four mixed oxo-anion compounds from high-temperature solid-state reactions: ThWTe2O9, Th(WO4)(TeO3), ThMoTe2O9, and Th2(MoO4)(TeO3)3. All four compounds contain edge-sharing thorium polyhedra linked by MoO4/WO6 and different tellurium oxo-groups to form three-dimensional frameworks. In ThWTe2O9, each helical Th based chain is connected by four tungstotellurite clusters resulting in a building fragment which has a cross-section of four-leafed clovers. The structure of Th(WO4)(TeO3) exhibits a multilayer-sandwich framework composed of thorium tellurite layers with tungsten chains in between. In the case of the molybdate family, ThMoTe2O9 and Th2(MoO4)(TeO3)3 are built from puckered Th-Te sheets which are further interconnected by MoO4 tetrahedral linkers. The DSC-TG technique was performed to gain insight into the thermal behavior of the synthesized compounds. Raman spectra of as-prepared phases were obtained and analyzed for signature peaks.

Noncentrosymmetric YVSe2O8 and centrosymmetric YVTe2O8: macroscopic centricities influenced by the size of lone pair cation linkers

Two new quaternary vanadium selenite and tellurite, i.e., YVSe2O8 and YVTe2O8, have been synthesized through hydrothermal and solid-state reactions. Both of the reported materials exhibit three-dimensional framework structures that are composed of layers of corner-shared VO6 octahedra, layers of edge-shared YO8 groups, and SeO3 or TeO3 linkers. While YVSe2O8 crystallizes in the orthorhombic noncentrosymmetric (NCS) space group, Abm2, YVTe2O8 reveals the monoclinic centrosymmetric (CS) space group, C2/m. The band gaps for YVSe2O8 and YVTe2O8 are calculated to be 2.7 and 2.2 eV, respectively, from the UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. Powder second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements using 1064 nm radiation reveals that NCS YVSe2O8 has a similar SHG efficiency to that of NH4H2PO4 (ADP). Detailed explanations of the structure-property relationships, effect of lone pair cation size on the macroscopic centricities, and full characterizations including infrared spectroscopy, thermal analyses, and elemental analyses are also presented.

Th(VO3)2(SeO3) and Ln(VO3)2(IO3) (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu): unusual cases of aliovalent substitution

Six isotypic compounds with rather extreme examples of aliovalent substitution (Th^IVvs. Ln^III; SeO₃²⁻vs. IO₃⁻) have been synthesized.