RESUMO
The material class of skutterudites is believed to have strong potential for thermoelectric application due to the very low thermal conductivity of the filled structures. It is generally assumed that the atoms filling the skutterudite cages act as 'rattlers' and essentially induce a disordered lattice dynamics referred to as 'phonon glass'. Here, we present neutron spectroscopy experiments and ab initio computational work on phonons in LaFe(4)Sb(12) and CeFe(4)Sb(12). Our results give unequivocal evidence of essentially temperature-independent lattice dynamics with well-defined phase relations between guest and host dynamics, indicative of a quasi-harmonic coupling between the guests and the host lattice. These conclusions are in disagreement with the 'phonon glass' paradigm based on individual 'rattling' of the guest atoms. These findings should have an essential impact on the design and improvement of thermoelectric materials and on the development of microscopic models needed for these efforts.
RESUMO
The novel dimeric germanotungstates [M(4)(H(2)O)(2)(GeW(9)O(34))(2)](12)(-) (M = Mn(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+)) have been synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, magnetic measurements, and (183)W-NMR spectroscopy. X-ray single-crystal analyses were carried out on Na(12)[Mn(4)(H(2)O)(2)(GeW(9)O(34))(2)].38H(2)O (Na(12)()-1), which crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/n, with a = 13.0419(8) A, b = 17.8422(10) A, c = 21.1626(12) A, beta = 93.3120(10) degrees, and Z = 2; Na(11)Cs(2)[Cu(4)(H(2)O)(2)(GeW(9)O(34))(2)]Cl.31H(2)O (Na(11)()Cs-2) crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P, with a = 12.2338(17) A, b = 12.3833(17) A, c = 15.449(2) A, alpha = 100.041(2) degrees, beta = 97.034(2) degrees, gamma = 101.153(2) degrees, and Z = 1; Na(12)[Zn(4)(H(2)O)(2)(GeW(9)O(34))(2)].32H(2)O (Na(12)()-3) crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P, with a = 11.589(3) A, b = 12.811(3) A, c = 17.221(4) A, alpha = 97.828(6) degrees, beta = 106.169(6) degrees, gamma = 112.113(5) degrees, and Z = 1; Na(12)[Cd(4)(H(2)O)(2)(GeW(9)O(34))(2)].32.2H(2)O (Na(12)()-4) crystallizes also in the triclinic system, space group P, with a = 11.6923(17) A, b = 12.8464(18) A, c = 17.616(2) A, alpha = 98.149(3) degrees, beta = 105.677(3) degrees, gamma = 112.233(2) degrees, and Z = 1. The polyanions consist of two lacunary B-alpha-[GeW(9)O(34)](10)(-) Keggin moieties linked via a rhomblike M(4)O(16) (M = Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd) group leading to a sandwich-type structure. (183)W-NMR studies of the diamagnetic Zn and Cd derivatives indicate that the solid-state polyoxoanion structures are preserved in solution. EPR measurements on Na(12)()-1 at frequencies up to 188 GHz and temperatures down to 4 K yield a single, exchange-narrowed peak, at g(iso) = 1.9949, typical of Mn systems, and an upper limit of |D| = 20.0 mT; its magnetization studies still await further theoretical treatment. Detailed EPR studies on Na(11)()Cs-2 over temperatures down to 2 K and variable frequencies yield g( parallel ) = 2.4303 and g( perpendicular ) = 2.0567 and A( parallel ) = 4.4 mT (delocalized over the Cu(4) framework), with |D| = 12.1 mT. Magnetization studies in addition yield the exchange parameters J(1) = -11 and J(2) = -82 cm(-)(1), in agreement with the EPR studies.
