Origin of Polarization in Bismuth Sodium Titanate-Based Ceramics.

The classical view of the structural changes that occur at the ferroelectric transition in perovskite-structured systems, such as BaTiO3, is that polarization occurs due to the off-center displacement of the B-site cations. Here, we show that in the bismuth sodium titanate (BNT)-based composition 0.2(Ba0.4Sr0.6TiO3)-0.8(Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3), this model does not accurately describe the structural situation. Such BNT-based systems are of interest as lead-free alternatives to currently used materials in a variety of piezo-/ferroelectric applications. A combination of high-resolution powder neutron diffraction, impedance spectroscopy, and ab initio calculations reveals that Ti4+ contributes less than a third in magnitude to the overall polarization and that the displacements of the O2- ions and the A-site cations, particularly Bi3+, are very significant. The detailed examination of the ferroelectric transition in this system offers insights applicable to the understanding of such transitions in other ferroelectric perovskites, particularly those containing lone pair elements.

Centrohexaindane, a Unique Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon Bearing the Rare Cq (Cq )4 Core: Inelastic Neutron Scattering, Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy.

The structure and vibrational spectroscopy of centrohexaindane, 1, was investigated. This unusual molecule has a quaternary carbon atom that is coordinated to four further such quaternary carbon atoms as its core, each pair of which is bonded to an ortho-phenylene unit. Previous NMR studies have shown that the molecule has tetrahedral (Td ) symmetry in solution. The infrared and Raman spectra of chloroform and deuterochloroform solutions of 1 are completely in agreement with this conclusion, as the only modes that are visible are those allowed for Td symmetry. This is not the case in the solid state: X-ray powder diffraction indicates that the unit cell is triclinic or monoclinic with a volume in excess of 4000 Å3 . The vibrational spectroscopy is consistent with C1 site symmetry and the presence of at least two molecules in the primitive cell. It is likely that the space group is centrosymmetric.

Structure and Spectroscopy of Iron Pentacarbonyl, Fe(CO)5.

We have re-investigated the structure and vibrational spectroscopy of the iconic molecule iron pentacarbonyl, Fe(CO)5, in the solid state by neutron scattering methods. In addition to the known C2/c structure, we find that Fe(CO)5 undergoes a displacive ferroelastic phase transition at 105 K to a P1̅ structure. We propose that this is a result of certain intermolecular contacts becoming shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii, resulting in an increased contribution of electrostatic repulsion to these interactions; this is manifested as a strain that breaks the symmetry of the crystal. Evaluation of the strain in a triclinic crystal required a description of the spontaneous strain in terms of a second-rank tensor, something that is feasible with high-precision powder diffraction data but practically very difficult using strain gauges on a single crystal of such low symmetry. The use of neutron vibrational spectroscopy (which is not subject to selection rules) has allowed the observation of all the fundamentals below 700 cm-1 for the first time. This has resulted in the re-assignment of several of the modes. Surprisingly, density functional theory calculations that were carried out to support the spectral assignments provided a poor description of the spectra.

Antiferroelectric-like Behavior in a Lead-Free Perovskite Layered Structure Ceramic.

Antiferroelectric (AFE) materials have been intensively studied due to their potential uses in energy storage applications and energy conversion. These materials are characterized by double polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops and nonpolar crystal structures. Unusually, in the present work, Sr1.68La0.32Ta1.68Ti0.32O7 (STLT32), Sr1.64La0.36Ta1.64Ti0.36O7 (STLT36), and Sr1.85Ca0.15Ta2O7 (SCT15), lead-free perovskite layered structure (PLS) materials, are shown to exhibit AFE-like double P-E hysteresis loops despite maintaining a polar crystal structure. The double hysteresis loops are present over wide ranges of electric field and temperature. While neutron diffraction and piezoresponse force microscopy results indicate that the STLT32 system should be ferroelectric at room temperature, the observed AFE-like electrical behavior suggests that the electrical response is dominated by a weakly polar phase with a field-induced transition to a more strongly polar phase. Variable-temperature dielectric measurements suggest the presence of two-phase transitions in STLT32 at ca. 250 and 750 °C. The latter transition is confirmed by thermal analysis and is accompanied by structural changes in the layers, such as in the degree of octahedral tilting and changes in the perovskite block width and interlayer gap, associated with a change from non-centrosymmetric to centrosymmetric structures. The lower-temperature transition is more diffuse in nature but is evidenced by subtle changes in the lattice parameters. The dielectric properties of an STLT32 ceramic at microwave frequencies was measured using a coplanar waveguide transmission line and revealed stable permittivity from 1 kHz up to 20 GHz with low dielectric loss. This work represents the first observation of its kind in a PLS-type material.

Cubic ice Ic without stacking defects obtained from ice XVII.

Amongst the more than 18 different forms of water ice, only the common hexagonal phase and the cubic phase are present in nature on Earth. Nonetheless, it is now widely recognized that all samples of 'cubic ice' discovered so far do not have a fully cubic crystal structure but instead are stacking-disordered forms of ice I (namely, ice Isd), which contain both hexagonal and cubic stacking sequences of hydrogen-bonded water molecules. Here, we describe a method to obtain large quantities of cubic ice Ic with high structural purity. Cubic ice Ic is formed by heating a powder of D2O ice XVII obtained from annealing of pristine C0 hydrate samples under dynamic vacuum. Neutron diffraction experiments performed on two different instruments and Raman spectroscopy measurements confirm the structural purity of the cubic ice, Ic. These findings contribute to a better understanding of ice I polymorphism and the existence of the two natural ice forms.

Structural Evolution in BiNbO4.

The sequence of transitions between different phases of BiNbO4 has been thoroughly investigated and clarified using thermal analysis, high-resolution neutron diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The theoretical optical phonon modes of the α-phase have been calculated. Based on thermoanalytical data supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the ß-phase is proposed to be metastable, while the α- and γ-phases are stable below and above 1040 °C, respectively. Accurate positional parameters for oxygen positions in the three main polymorphs (α, ß, and γ) are presented and the structural relationships between these polymorphs are discussed. Even though no significant changes, only relaxation phenomena, are observed in the dielectric behavior of α-BiNbO4 below 1000 °C, evidence of two further subtle transitions at ∼350 and 600 °C is presented through careful analysis of structural parameters from variable temperature neutron diffraction measurements. Such phase variations are also evident in the phonon modes in Raman spectra and supported by changes in the thermoanalytical data. These subtle transitions may correspond to the previously proposed antiferroelectric to ferroelectric and ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transitions, respectively.

Crossover between Tilt Families and Zero Area Thermal Expansion in Hybrid Prussian Blue Analogues.

Materials in the family of Prussian blue analogues (C3 H5 N2 )2 K[M(CN)6 ], where C3 H5 N2 is the imidazolium ion and M=Fe, Co, undergo two phase transitions with temperature; at low temperatures the imidazolium cations have an ordered configuration (C2/c), while in the intermediate- and high-temperature phases (both previously reported as R3‾m ) they are dynamically disordered. We show from high-resolution powder neutron diffraction data that the high-temperature phase has zero area thermal expansion in the ab-plane. Supported by Landau theory and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, we re-evaluate the space group symmetry of the intermediate-temperature phase to R3‾ . This reveals that the low-to-intermediate temperature transition is due to competition between two different tilt patterns of the [M(CN)6 ]3- ions. Controlling the relative stabilities of these tilt patterns offers a potential means to tune the exploitable electric behaviour that arises from motion of the imidazolium guest.

Crystal structure of magnesium selenate hepta-hydrate, MgSeO4·7H2O, from neutron time-of-flight data.

MgSeO4·7H2O is isostructural with the analogous sulfate, MgSO4·7H2O, consisting of isolated [Mg(H2O)6](2+) octa-hedra and [SeO4](2-) tetra-hedra, linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, with a single inter-stitial lattice water mol-ecule. As in the sulfate, the [Mg(H2O)6](2+) coordination octa-hedron is elongated along one axis due to the tetra-hedral coordination of the two apical water mol-ecules; these have Mg-O distances of ∼2.10 Å, whereas the remaining four trigonally coordinated water mol-ecules have Mg-O distances of ∼2.05 Å. The mean Se-O bond length is 1.641 Šand is in excellent agreement with other selenates. The unit-cell volume of MgSeO4·7H2O at 10 K is 4.1% larger than that of the sulfate at 2 K, although this is not uniform; the greater part of the expansion is along the a axis of the crystal.

Configurational entropy of ice XIX and its isotope effect.

Ice XIX is a partly hydrogen-ordered polymorph related to disordered ice VI, similar to ice XV. We here investigate the order-order-disorder sequence ice XIX→ice XV→ice VI based on calorimetry at ambient pressure both for D2O and H2O-ice XIX. From these data we extract configurational entropy differences between ice XIX, ice XV and ice VI. This task is complex because, unlike for all other ices, the order-disorder transition from ice XIX to ice VI takes place in two steps via ice XV. Even more challenging, these two steps take place in an overlapping manner, so that careful separation of slow kinetics is necessary. This is evidenced best by changing the heating rate in calorimetry experiments: For fast heating experiments the second step, disordering of ice XV, is suppressed because the first step, formation of ice XV from ice XIX, is too slow. The transient state ice VI‡ that is initially produced upon ice XIX decay then does not have enough time to convert to ice XV, but remains disordered all along. In order to tackle the challenge to determine the entropy difference between ice XIX and VI as well as the entropy difference between ice XV and VI we employ two different approaches that allow assessing the impact of kinetics on the entropy change. "Single peak integration" defines a kinetically limited result, but "combined peak integration" allows estimation of the true thermodynamic values. Our best estimate for the true value shows ice XIX to be much more ordered than ice XV (25 ± 3% vs 9 ± 4% of the Pauling entropy). For D2Oice XIX samples we obtain 28% of order, but only when a small number of fast H-isotope defects are used. In the second part we use these results to estimate the location of the ice XIX phase boundary both for protiated and deuterated ice XIX. The initial Clapeyron slope at ambient pressure is determined from the combination of neutron powder diffraction volume differences and calorimetry entropy differences data to be 21 K GPa-1 with an order-disorder transition temperature To-d(0.0 GPa) = 103 ± 1 K. An in situ bracketing experiment at 1.8 GPa yields To-d(1.8 GPa) = 116 ± 3 K, i.e., the phase boundary slope flattens at higher pressures. These data allow us to determine the region of thermodynamic stability of ice XIX in the phase diagram and to explain the surprising isotope shift reversal at 1.6 GPa compared to 0.0 GPa, i.e., why D2O-ice XIX disorders at lower temperatures than H2O-ice XIX at 1.6 GPa, but at higher temperatures at ambient pressures.

A fast ceramic mixed OH-/H+ ionic conductor for low temperature fuel cells.

Low temperature ionic conducting materials such as OH- and H+ ionic conductors are important electrolytes for electrochemical devices. Here we show the discovery of mixed OH-/H+ conduction in ceramic materials. SrZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ exhibits a high ionic conductivity of approximately 0.01 S cm-1 at 90 °C in both water and wet air, which has been demonstrated by direct ammonia fuel cells. Neutron diffraction confirms the presence of OD bonds in the lattice of deuterated SrZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ. The OH- ionic conduction of CaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ in water was demonstrated by electrolysis of both H218O and D2O. The ionic conductivity of CaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ in 6 M KOH solution is around 0.1 S cm-1 at 90 °C, 100 times higher than that in pure water, indicating increased OH- ionic conductivity with a higher concentration of feed OH- ions. Density functional theory calculations suggest the diffusion of OH- ions relies on oxygen vacancies and temporarily formed hydrogen bonds. This opens a window to discovering new ceramic ionic conducting materials for near ambient temperature fuel cells, electrolysers and other electrochemical devices.

MgSO4·11H2O and MgCrO4·11H2O based on time-of-flight neutron single-crystal Laue data.

Hexaaquamagnesium(II) sulfate pentahydrate, [Mg(H2O)6]SO4·5H2O, and hexaaquamagnesium(II) chromate(II) pentahydrate, [Mg(H2O)6][CrO4]·5H2O, are isomorphous, being composed of hexaaquamagnesium(II) octahedra, [Mg(H2O)6](2+), and sulfate (chromate) tetrahedral oxyanions, SO4(2-) (CrO4(2-)), linked by hydrogen bonds. There are two symmetry-inequivalent centrosymmetric octahedra: M1 at (0, 0, 0) donates hydrogen bonds directly to the tetrahedral oxyanion, T1, at (0.405, 0.320, 0.201), whereas the M2 octahedron at (0, 0, ½) is linked to the oxyanion via five interstitial water molecules. Substitution of Cr(VI) for S(VI) leads to a substantial expansion of T1, since the Cr-O bond is approximately 12% longer than the S-O bond. This expansion is propagated through the hydrogen-bonded framework to produce a 3.3% increase in unit-cell volume; the greatest part of this chemically induced strain is manifested along the b* direction. The hydrogen bonds in the chromate compound mitigate ~20% of the expected strain due to the larger oxyanion, becoming shorter (i.e. stronger) and more linear than in the sulfate analogue. The bifurcated hydrogen bond donated by one of the interstitial water molecules is significantly more symmetrical in the chromate analogue.

High pressure ionic and molecular crystals of ammonia monohydrate within density functional theory.

A combination of first-principles density functional theory calculations and a search over structures is used to predict the stability of a proton-transfer modification of ammonia monohydrate with space group P4∕nmm. The phase diagram is calculated with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) density functional, and the effects of a semi-empirical dispersion correction, zero point motion, and finite temperature are investigated. Comparison with MP2 and coupled cluster calculations shows that the PBE functional over-stabilizes proton transfer phases because too much electronic charge moves with the proton. This over-binding is partially corrected by using the PBE0 hybrid exchange-correlation functional, which increases the enthalpy of P4∕nmm by about 0.6 eV per formula unit relative to phase I of ammonia monohydrate and shifts the transition to the proton transfer phase from the PBE pressure of 2.8 GPa to about 10 GPa. This is consistent with experiment as proton transfer phases have not been observed at pressures up to ∼9 GPa, while higher pressures have not yet been explored experimentally.

Crystal structure of ammonia dihydrate II.

We have used density-functional-theory (DFT) methods together with a structure searching algorithm to make an experimentally constrained prediction of the structure of ammonia dihydrate II (ADH-II). The DFT structure is in good agreement with neutron diffraction data and verifies the prediction. The structure consists of the same basic structural elements as ADH-I, with a modest alteration to the packing, but a considerable reduction in volume. The phase diagram of the known ADH and ammonia monohydrate + water-ice structures is calculated with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof density functional, and the effects of a semi-empirical dispersion corrected functional are investigated. The results of our DFT calculations of the finite-pressure elastic constants of ADH-II are compared with the available experimental data for the elastic strain coefficients.

Ab initio simulations of α- and ß-ammonium carbamate (NH4·NH2CO2), and the thermal expansivity of deuterated α-ammonium carbamate from 4.2 to 180†K by neutron powder diffraction.

Experimental and computational studies of ammonium carbamate have been carried out, with the objective of studying the elastic anisotropy of the framework manifested in (i) the thermal expansion and (ii) the compressibility; furthermore, the relative thermodynamic stability of the two known polymorphs has been evaluated computationally. Using high-resolution neutron powder diffraction data, the crystal structure of α-ammonium carbamate (ND4·ND2CO2) has been refined [space group Pbca, Z = 8, with a = 17.05189 (15), b = 6.43531 (7), c = 6.68093 (7) Šand V = 733.126 (9) Å3 at 4.2 K] and the thermal expansivity of α-ammonium carbamate has been measured over the temperature range 4.2-180 K. The expansivity shows a high degree of anisotropy, with the b axis most expandable. The ab initio computational studies were carried out on the α- and ß-polymorphs of ammonium carbamate using density functional theory. Fitting equations of state to the P(V) points of the simulations (run athermally) gave the following values: V0 = 744 (2) Å3 and bulk modulus K0 = 16.5 (4) GPa for the α-polymorph, and V0 = 713.6 (5) Å3 and K0 = 24.4 (4) GPa for the ß-polymorph. The simulations show good agreement with the thermoelastic behaviour of α-ammonium carbamate. Both phases show a high-degree of anisotropy; in particular, α-ammonium carbamate shows unusual compressive behaviour, being determined to have negative linear compressibility (NLC) along its a axis above 5 GPa. The thermodynamically stable phase at ambient pressure is the α-polymorph, with a calculated enthalpy difference with respect to the ß-polymorph of 0.399 kJ mol-1; a transition to the ß-polymorph could occur at ∼0.4 GPa.

Crystal structures of ethylene glycol and ethylene glycol monohydrate.

We have carried out a neutron powder diffraction study of deuterated ethylene glycol (1,2-ethanediol), and deuterated ethylene glycol monohydrate with the D2B high-resolution diffractometer at the Institut Laue-Langevin. Using these data, we have refined the complete structure, including all hydrogen atoms, of the anhydrous phase at 220 K. In addition, we have determined the structure of ethylene glycol monohydrate at 210 K using direct space methods. Anhydrous ethylene glycol crystallizes in space-group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with four formula units in a unit-cell of dimensions a = 5.0553(1) Å, b = 6.9627(1) Å, c = 9.2709(2) Å, and V = 326.319(8) Å(3) [ρ(calc)(deuterated) = 1386.26(3) kg m(-3)] at 220 K. Ethylene glycol monohydrate crystallizes in space-group P2(1)/c with four formula units in a unit-cell of dimensions a = 7.6858(3) Å, b = 7.2201(3) Å, c = 7.7356(4) Å, ß = 92.868(3)°, and V = 428.73(2) Å(3) [ρ(calc)(deuterated) = 1365.40(7) kg m(-3)] at 210 K. Both the structures are characterized by the gauche conformation of the ethylene glycol molecule; however, the anhydrous phase contains the tGg' rotamer (or its mirror, g'Gt), whereas the monohydrate contains the gGg' rotamer. In the monohydrate, each water molecule is tetrahedrally coordinated, donating two hydrogen bonds to, and accepting two hydrogen bonds from the hydroxyl groups of neighboring ethylene glycol molecules. There are substantial differences in the degree of weak C-D···O hydrogen bonding between the two crystals, which calls into question the role of these interactions in determining the conformation of the ethylene glycol molecule.

Structural characterization of ice XIX as the second polymorph related to ice VI.

Ice polymorphs usually appear as hydrogen disorder-order pairs. Ice VI has a wide range of thermodynamic stability and exists in the interior of Earth and icy moons. Our previous work suggested ice ß-XV as a second polymorph deriving from disordered ice VI, in addition to ice XV. Here we report thermal and structural characterization of the previously inaccessible deuterated polymorph using ex situ calorimetry and high-resolution neutron powder diffraction. Ice ß-XV, now called ice XIX, is shown to be partially antiferroelectrically ordered and crystallising in a √2×√2×1 supercell. Our powder data recorded at subambient pressure fit best to the structural model in space group [Formula: see text]. Key to the synthesis of deuterated ice XIX is the use of a DCl-doped D2O/H2O mixture, where the small H2O fraction enhances ice XIX nucleation kinetics. In addition, we observe the transition from ice XIX to its sibling ice XV upon heating, which proceeds via a transition state (ice VI‡) containing a disordered H-sublattice. To the best of our knowledge this represents the first order-order transition known in ice physics.

Phenol hemihydrate: redetermination of the crystal structure by neutron powder diffraction, Hirshfeld surface analysis and characterization of the thermal expansion.

Phenol hemihydrate, C5H5OH·0.5H2O, crystallizes in the space group Pbcn, Z = 8. The previously published crystal structure [CSD refcode PHOLHH; Meuthen & von Stackelberg (1960 ▸). Z. Elektrochem. 64, 387-390] is shown to be incorrect. Pairs of phenol mol-ecules, related by an inversion centre, are bridged by one water mol-ecule via O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds; an extended R 4 4(8) hydrogen-bonded motif links these inversion dimers into chains parallel to the c axis. Packing of the chains is achieved by weaker T-shaped C-H⋯π inter-actions between nearest neighbour phenol mol-ecules in the bc plane. Analysis of the thermal expansion and parameterization with a Debye model in terms of the linear elastic moduli shows that the c axis is ∼3 times stiffer than the two orthogonal directions.

Crystal structure of ammonia monohydrate phase II.

We have determined the crystal structure of ammonia monohydrate phase II (AMH II) employing a combination of ab initio computational structure prediction and structure solution from neutron powder diffraction data using direct space methods. Neutron powder diffraction data were collected from perdeuterated AMH II using the D2B high-resolution diffractometer at the Institut Laue-Langevin. AMH II crystallizes in space-group Pbca with 16 formula units in a unit-cell of dimensions a = 18.8285(4) A, b = 6.9415(2) A, c = 6.8449(2) A, and V = 894.61(3) A3 [rho(calc)(deuterated) = 1187.56(4) kg m(-3)] at 502 MPa, 180 K. The structure is characterized by sheets of tessellated pentagons formed by orientationally ordered O-D...O, O-D...N, and N-D...O hydrogen-bonds; these sheets are stacked along the a-axis and connected by N-D...O hydrogen bonds alone. With the exception of the simple body-centered-cubic high-pressure phases of ammonia monohydrate and ammonia dihydrate, this is the first complex molecular structure of any of the high-pressure stoichiometric ammonia hydrates to be determined. The powder structure solution is complemented by an ab initio structure prediction using density functional theory which gives an almost identical hydrogen bonding network.

Equation of state and phase transition of deuterated ammonia monohydrate (ND3.D2O) measured by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction up to 500 MPa.

We describe the results of a neutron powder diffraction study of perdeuterated ammonia monohydrate (AMH, ND(3).D(2)O) carried out in the range 102

Accurate and precise lattice parameters of H2O and D2O ice Ih between 1.6 and 270†K from high-resolution time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction data.

Accurate and precise lattice parameters for D2O and H2O varieties of hexagonal ice (ice Ih, space group P63/mmc) have been obtained in the range 1.6 to 270 K. Precision of the lattice parameters (∼0.0002% in a and 0.0004% in c for D2O, 0.0008% in a and 0.0015% in c for H2O) is ensured by use of the time-of-flight method on one of the longest primary neutron flight-path instruments in the world, the High-Resolution Powder Diffractometer at the ISIS neutron source. These data provide a more precise description of the negative thermal expansion of the material at low temperatures than the previous synchrotron `gold standard' [Röttger et al. (1994). Acta Cryst. B50, 644-648], including the region below 10 K where the lattice parameters saturate. The volume expansivity of both isotopologues turns negative below 59-60 K, in excellent agreement with a recent dilatometry study. The axial expansivities are highly isotropic (differing by < 1% in D2O ice Ih). Furthermore, the c/a ratio of different D2O ice samples exhibit a statistically significant dispersion of ∼0.015% below 150 K that appears to depend on the thermal history of the sample, which disappears on warming above 150 K. Similarly, H2O ice exhibits a `kink' in the c/a ratio at ∼115 K. The most plausible explanation is a freezing-in of the molecular reorientation process on cooling and subsequent relaxation on warming.