A Machine Learning Study on High Thermal Conductivity Assisted to Discover Chalcogenides with Balanced Infrared Nonlinear Optical Performance

Exploration of novel nonlinear optical (NLO) chalcogenides with high laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT) is critical for mid-infrared (mid-IR) solid-state laser applications. High lattice thermal conductivity (κL ) is crucial to increasing LIDT yet often neglected in the search for NLO crystals due to lack of accurate κL data. A machine learning (ML) approach to predict κL for over 6000 chalcogenides is hereby proposed. Combining ML-generated κL data and first-principles calculation, a high-throughput screening route is initiated, and ten new potential mid-IR NLO chalcogenides with optimal bandgap, NLO coefficients, and thermal conductivity are discovered, in which Li2 SiS3 and AlZnGaS4 are highlighted. Big-data analysis on structural chemistry proves that the chalcogenides having dense and simple lattice structures with low anisotropy, light atoms, and strong covalent bonds are likely to possess higher κL . The four-coordinated motifs in which central cations show the bond valence sum of +2 to +3 and are from IIIA, IVA, VA, and IIB groups, such as those in diamond-like defect-chalcopyrite chalcogenides, are preferred to fulfill the desired structural chemistry conditions for balanced NLO and thermal properties. This work provides not only an efficient strategy but also interpretable research directions in the search for NLO crystals with high thermal conductivity.

Synthesis and Characterization of Na4Si2Se6-tP24 and Na4Si2Se6-oP48, Two Polymorphs with Different Anionic Structures

Two different polymorphs of the new selenosilicate Na₄Si₂Se₆ were synthesized by solid-state reactions. The high-temperature polymorph Na₄Si₂Se₆-tP24 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4₂/mcm (No. 132) with lattice parameters a = 7.2793(2) Å, c = 12.4960(4) Å, and V = 662.14(3) ų. The main structural motifs are isolated Si₂Se₆ units of two edge-sharing SiSe₄ tetrahedra. The high-pressure/low-temperature polymorph Na₄Si₂Se₆-oP48 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca (No. 61) with lattice parameters a = 12.9276(1) Å, b = 15.9324(1) Å, c = 6.0349(1) Å, and V = 1243.00(2) ų showing zweier single chains _∞¹[Si₂Se₆]^4-. The lattice parameters of Na₄Si₂Se₆-tP24 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, whereas those of Na₄Si₂Se₆-oP48 were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction. Both modifications crystallize in new structure types. An energetic comparison of the two polymorphs and further hypothetical structure types was carried out by density functional theory modeling. Calculations reveal that the polymorphs are very close in energy (ΔE = 3.4 kJ mol^-1). Impedance spectroscopic measurements show ionic conductivity (σ_spec = 1.4 × 10^-8 S cm^-1 at 50 °C and 6.8 × 10^-6 S cm^-1 at 200 °C) with an activation energy of E_A = 0.54(2) eV for Na₄Si₂Se₆-oP48.

Unconventional Ferroelectricity with Quantized Polarizations in Ionic Conductors: High-Throughput Screening

Ferroelectricity is generally a displacive phenomenon within a unit cell in which ions are placed asymmetrically. In ionic conductors, ions can also be electrically displaced but by much longer distances. They are mostly nonpolar with symmetrical lattices due to the nondirectional character of ionic bondings. Here we propose that the combination of two such displacive modes may give rise to unconventional ferroelectricity with quantized polarizations, where even one local vacancy may induce giant polarization in ubiquitous ionic conductors. Such systems should be insulating with ion vacancies inclined to aggregate at one side. Our high-throughput screening combined with ab initio calculations provided 35 candidates, from which we select KSnS₄ and Na₄SnS₄ to show the existence of such long ion displacement ferroelectricity with a change in integer quantum number in polarizations during switching. The polarizations can be unprecedentedly large with a moderate density of ion vacancies that can be experimentally achieved via ion deintercalation.

Directed Dehydration as Synthetic Tool for Generation of a New Na 4 SnS 4 Polymorph: Crystal Structure, Na + Conductivity, and Influence of Sb‐Substitution

We present the convenient synthesis and characterization of the new ternary thiostannate Na₄SnS₄ (space group I41/acd ) by directed removal of crystal water molecules from Na₄SnS₄⋅14 H₂O. The compound represents a new kinetically stable polymorph of Na₄SnS₄, which is transformed into the known, thermodynamically stable form (space group P4‾21c ) at elevated temperatures. Thermal co‐decomposition of mixtures with Na₃SbS₄⋅9 H₂O generates solid solution products Na_4−xSn_1−xSb_xS₄ (x=0.01, 0.10) isostructural to the new polymorph (x=0). Incorporation of Sb⁵⁺ affects the bonding and local structural situation noticeably evidenced by X‐ray diffraction, ¹¹⁹Sn and ²³Na NMR, and ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates an enormous improvement of the ionic conductivity with increasing Sb content for the solid solution (σ_25°C=2×10⁻³, 2×10⁻², and 0.1 mS cm⁻¹ for x=0, 0.01, and 0.10), being several orders of magnitude higher than for the known Na₄SnS₄ polymorph.

RbPb8O4Cl9: the first alkali metal lead oxyhalide with distorted [PbO3Cl3] and [PbOCl5] mixed-anion groups

A new heavy metal oxychloride, RbPb₈O₄Cl₉, has been synthesized by a high-temperature solution method. The compound crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P4/n (no. 85) and exhibits a three-dimensional (3D) framework constructed from [PbO₃Cl₃], [PbOCl₅] and [RbCl₈] polyhedra. RbPb₈O₄Cl₉ is an indirect band gap compound with an experimental band gap of 3.66 eV. The first-principles calculations indicate that the band gap mainly originated from the interaction of Pb 6p, O 2p and Cl 2p states. Meanwhile, the calculated birefringence of RbPb₈O₄Cl₉ is about 0.012 at 1064 nm. The compound is the first alkali metal lead oxyhalide, which enriches the structural diversity of oxyhalides and provides an insight for the exploration of new functional materials.