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Recently, there has been an increased interest in quaternary clathrate systems as promising thermoelectric materials. Because of their increased complexity, however, the chemical ordering in the host framework of quaternary clathrates has not yet been comprehensively analyzed. Here, we have synthesized a prototypical quaternary type-I clathrate Ba8AlxGa16-xGe30 by Czochralski and flux methods, and we employed a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction along with atomic scale simulations to investigate chemical ordering in this material. We show that the site occupancy factors of trivalent elements at the 6c site differ, depending on the synthesis method, which can be attributed to the level of equilibration. The flux-grown samples are consistent with the simulated high-temperature disordered configuration, while the degree of ordering for the Czochralski sample lies between the ground state and the high-temperature state. Moreover, we demonstrate that the atomic displacement parameters of the Ba atoms in the larger tetrakaidecahedral cages are related to chemical ordering. Specifically, Ba atoms are either displaced toward the periphery or localized at the cage centers. Consequently, this study reveals key relationships between the chemical ordering in the quaternary clathrates Ba8AlxGa16-xGe30 and the structural properties, thereby offering new perspectives on designing these materials and optimizing their thermoelectric properties.

Crystallographic order-disorder phenomena in solid state compounds are of fundamental interest due to intimate relationship between the structure and properties. Here, by using high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis, we obtained vanadium perovskite oxyhydrides Sr1-xNaxVO3-yHy (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) with an anion-disordered structure, which is different from anion-ordered SrVO2H synthesized by topochemical reduction. High-pressure and high-temperature synthesis from nominal composition SrVO2H yielded the anion-disordered perovskite SrVO3-yHy (y ∼ 0.4) with a significant amount of byproducts, while Na substitution resulted in the almost pure anion-disordered perovskite Sr1-xNaxVO3-yHy with an increased amount of hydride anion (y ∼ 0.7 for x = 0.2). The obtained disordered phases for x = 0.1 and 0.2 are paramagnetic with almost temperature-independent electronic conductivity, whereas anion-ordered SrVO2H is an antiferromagnetic insulator. Although we obtained the anion-disordered perovskite under high pressure, a first-principles calculation revealed that the application of pressure stabilizes the ordered phase due to a reduced volume in the ordered structure, suggesting that a further increase of the pressure or reduction of the reaction temperature leads to the anion ordering. This study shows that anion ordering in oxyhydrides can be controlled by changing synthetic pressure and temperature.

Layered oxyhalides containing double or triple fluorite layers are promising visible-light-responsive water-splitting photocatalysts with unique band structures. Herein, we report on the synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic property of Bi4BaO6Cl2 (I4/mmm) with alternating double (Bi2O2) and triple (Bi2BaO4) fluorite layers, which was extracted from the crystallographic database on the basis of Madelung potential calculations. Rietveld refinements from powder X-ray and neutron diffraction data revealed the presence of cationic disorder between Bi2O2 and Bi2BaO4 layers, leading to electrostatic stabilization. DFT calculations suggested that photogenerated electrons and holes flow through the double and triple layers, respectively, which may suppress electron-hole recombination. We expanded this double-triple system to include Bi4CaO6Cl2 and Bi4SrO6Cl2 with orthorhombic distortions and different degrees of cationic disorder, which allow band gap tuning. All the double-triple compounds Bi4AO6Cl2 showed stable water-splitting photocatalysis in the presence of a sacrificial reagent.

B-site-layer-ordered double perovskite Ca2FeMnO6 with unusually high valence Fe4+ was found to exhibit unusual oxygen-release behaviors, contrasting with those of the B-site-disordered perovskite having the identical chemical composition. During heating, the B-site-layer-ordered compound shows a stepwise oxygen release with successive valence changes from Fe4+ to Fe3+ through an intermediate Fe3.5+, whereas the B-site-disordered compound releases oxygen in a single step. The oxygen in Ca2FeMnO6 is released only from the two-dimensional Fe layers, and this selective oxygen release stabilizes the intermediate Fe3.5+ phase with in-plane-oxygen-vacancy ordering. Therefore, the B-site order/disorder strongly affects the oxygen-release behaviors associated with the oxygen-vacancy ordering.

Understanding the fast Li ionic conductors of oxygen-substituted thiophosphates is useful for developing all-solid-state batteries because these compounds possess a high electrochemical stability and thus may be applied as solid electrolytes. In this study, we synthesized the Li

Recently, there has been an increased interest in quaternary clathrate systems as promising thermoelectric materials. Because of their increased complexity, however, the chemical ordering in the host framework of quaternary clathrates has not yet been comprehensively analyzed. Here, we have synthesized a prototypical quaternary type-I clathrate Ba8AlxGa16–xGe30 by Czochralski and flux methods, and we employed a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction along with atomic scale simulations to investigate chemical ordering in this material. We show that the site occupancy factors of trivalent elements at the 6c site differ, depending on the synthesis method, which can be attributed to the level of equilibration. The flux-grown samples are consistent with the simulated high-temperature disordered configuration, while the degree of ordering for the Czochralski sample lies between the ground state and the high-temperature state. Moreover, we demonstrate that the atomic displacement parameters of the Ba atoms in the larger tetrakaidecahedral cages are related to chemical ordering. Specifically, Ba atoms are either displaced toward the periphery or localized at the cage centers. Consequently, this study reveals key relationships between the chemical ordering in the quaternary clathrates Ba8AlxGa16–xGe30 and the structural properties, thereby offering new perspectives on designing these materials and optimizing their thermoelectric properties., The chemical ordering of quaternary clathrate Ba8AlxGa16−xGe30 is determined, showing that the Al occupation at the 6c site differs explicitly, depending on the synthesis methods. It is further corroborated by the theoretical calculations that the flux-grown samples are consistent with the simulated high-temperature disordered configuration, while the degree of ordering for the Czochralski sample lies between the ground state and the high-temperature state.

Layered oxyhalides containing double or triple fluorite layers are promising visible-light-responsive water-splitting photocatalysts with unique band structures. Herein, we report on the synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic property of Bi

B-site-layer-ordered double perovskite Ca

BaFexNi1–xO3 with end members of BaNiO3 (x = 0) and BaFeO3 (x = 1), which, respectively, adopt the 2H and 6H hexagonal perovskite structures, were synthesized, and their crystal structures were investigated. A new single phase, Ba4Fe3NiO12 (x = 0.75), that adopts the 12R perovskite structure with the space group R3m (a = 5.66564(7) A and c = 27.8416(3) A), was found to be stabilized. Mossbauer spectroscopy results and structure analysis using synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction data revealed that nominal Fe3+ occupies the corner-sharing octahedral site while the unusually high valence Fe4+ and Ni4+ occupy the face-sharing octahedral sites in the trimers, giving a charge formula of Ba4Fe3+Fe4+2Ni4+O11.5. The magnetic properties of the compound are also discussed.

A Sr analogue of Ca0.5Bi0.5FeO3, Sr0.5Bi0.5FeO3, containing unusually high valence Fe3.5+ ions was synthesized by using a high-pressure technique. It relieves the electronic instability due to the unusually high valence of Fe3.5+ by a single charge disproportionation (CD) transition (Fe3.5+ -> 0.75Fe(3+) + 0.25Fe(5+)) rather than the successive CD and intermetallic charge transfer (CT) transitions seen in Ca0.5Bi0.5FeO3. Conduction-band narrowing due to the significant bend in the Fe-O-Fe bond in the rhombohedral R (3) over barc crystal structure stabilized the charge-disproportionated state at low temperatures. Most importantly, Bi3+ ions in Sr0.5Bi0.5FeO3 do not act as countercations accepting oxygen holes as they do in Ca0.5Bi0.5FeO3, resulting in the absence of the intermetallic CT transition. The large cavity of the A-site Sr ions prevents the charge-transferred Bi5+ from being stabilized. In the charge-disproportionated state the nearest-neighbor Fe3+ spins align antiferromagnetically and one-fourth of the Fe3+ spins are randomly replaced by Fe5+ spins coupled ferromagnetically with the neighboring Fe3+ spins.

BaFe

A Sr analogue of Ca

A-site-ordered layer-structured perovskite LaCa

The Na-doped perovskite-structure ruthenates Sr(1-x)Na(x)RuO3 and Ca(1-y)Na(y)RuO3 were prepared by high-pressure synthesis, which enables us to go beyond the previously reported Na doping limits and substitute Na for over 50% of the Sr in SrRuO3 and the Ca in CaRuO3. Gradual and systematic changes in the crystal structures were observed, and the decreases in the Ru-O bond lengths confirmed the Na substitution at the A site caused hole doping to Ru(4+) at the B site. In contrast to what has been previously reported, Sr(1-x)Na(x)RuO3 showed metallic conductivity. Magnetic properties were influenced by the Na substitution, but no long-range antiferromagnetic behavior was observed in Ca(1-y)Na(y)RuO3.

A double perovskite-structure oxide La2LiFeO6 with unusually high-valence Fe(5+) was synthesized using a high-pressure technique. The Li(+) and Fe(5+) ions at the B site in the rhombohedral R3̅ perovskite structure are ordered in a rock salt manner, and the resultant tetrahedral network of Fe(5+) gives geometrical spin frustration, which is consistent with a large frustration index f (|θ|/TN) ≈ 10. Mg(2+) substitution for Li(+) produces Fe(4+) from some Fe(5+) and changes the magnetic properties. The Weiss temperature is increased from -119 to 21 K by the substitution of only 1%, significantly decreasing the frustration index. The geometrical frustration of the Fe(5+) spin sublattice cannot be tolerant for even a very small amount of Fe(4+) disturbance.

A-site-ordered perovskites LaCu(3)(Ge(3/4)Ga(1/4))(4)O(12) and DyCu(3)(Ge(3/4)Ga(1/4))(4)O(12) were synthesized, and their magnetism was investigated. Ferromagnetic ordering of the square-planar-coordinated Cu(2+) spins was observed at 12-13 K in both compounds, and the Dy(3+) moment in DyCu(3)(Ge(3/4)Ga(1/4))(4)O(12) stayed paramagnetic below T(C). The decoupling of the magnetic behavior of Cu(2+) and Dy(3+) sublattices revealed the weak magnetic interaction between Cu(2+) and Dy(3+).

An A-site-ordered double perovskite BiCu(3)Fe(4)O(12) was synthesized at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. Similar to the isostructural LaCu(3)Fe(4)O(12), the temperature-induced intermetallic charge transfer between the A'-site Cu and the B-site Fe ions occurs but at higher temperature (428 K) than LaCu(3)Fe(4)O(12) (393 K) does. This charge transfer causes an isostructural phase transition with volume contraction by 0.6% as well as semiconductor-to-metal and antiferromagnetism-to-paramagnetism transitions. Although the Bi cation at the A site does not take part in the charge transfer, it appears to enhance the charge-transfer temperature by stabilizing the square-planar coordinated Cu(3+).

A-site-ordered perovskite Ce1/2Cu3Ti4O12 has been found to crystallize in two different forms, one with random and the other with ordered Ce/vacancy distribution at the A site of the prototype AA'3B4O12 structure. The random phase is isostructural with CaCu3Ti4O12, and the ordered phase is a new ordered derivative of the AA'3B4O12-type perovskite with two crystallographically distinct Cu sites. Although both phases form a G-type antiferromagnetic arrangement of Cu(2+) spins below 24 K, their magnetisms are quite different. A typical antiferromagnetic transition is observed in the random phase, whereas a small ferromagnetic moment appears below 24 K in the ordered phase, which rapidly decreases upon further cooling. A mean-field approximation approach revealed that this unusual behavior in the ordered phase is an L-type ferrimagnetism driven by the nonequivalent magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic Cu(2+) spin sublattices in the G-type spin structure. This unusual ferrimagnetism is a direct consequence of the Ce/vacancy ordering.

A crossover from the A-site-ordered double-perovskite structure with Im3̅ cubic symmetry to the simple-perovskite structure with Pnma orthorhombic symmetry is found in LnMn3V4O12 (Ln = La, Nd, Gd, Y, Lu) synthesized under high-pressure conditions. Relatively large Ln(3+) ions (La(3+), Nd(3+), and Gd(3+)) induce the a(+)a(+)a(+) in-phase cooperative tilting of the VO6 octahedra, resulting in the A-site-ordered double-perovskite structure with chemical composition Ln(3+)Mn(2+)3V(3.75+)4O12. Compounds with small Ln(3+) ions like Y(3+) and Lu(3+), on the other hand, crystallize with the Pnma simple-perovskite structure with chemical composition (Ln(3+)1/4Mn(2+)3/4)V(3.75+)O3, where the Ln(3+) and Mn(2+) ions are disordered at the A site. The random distribution of the small A-site cation induces the a(-)b(+)a(-) tilting distortion of the VO6 octahedra. The observed phase crossover is well explained by the structural stability calculation based on the bond-valence-sum model, and the most stable crystal structure gives the smallest unit-cell volume. This A-site-cation size-dependent phase transition between the A-site-ordered double-perovskite and A-site-disordered simple-perovskite structures in LnMn3V4O12 is thus a result of the structural stability due to the cooperative tilting of the VO6 octahedra. The Mn(2+) ions at the A'(A) site contribute local magnetic moments, whereas the V(3.75+) ions at the B site play a role in metallic conduction. The observed magnetic behaviors are consistent with the order-disorder distribution of the Mn(2+) ions at the A site, antiferromagnetism in the A-site-ordered double perovskites, and magnetic spin glass in the A-site-disordered simple perovskites.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra near the O K-edge of A-site-ordered perovskite with A-site Cu(2+) (S = (1)/(2)) spins were measured. The spectra of ferromagnetic CaCu(3)Ge(4)O(12) and CaCu(3)Sn(4)O(12) showed hybridization between Cu 3d and O 2p orbitals, but magnetic circular dichroism measurement revealed that the O 2p orbital played a less important role in magnetic interaction. The XAS spectra of antiferromagnetic CaCu(3)Ti(4)O(12), on the other hand, showed strong hybridization of the Cu 3d, Ti 3d, and O 2p orbitals. These results demonstrated that direct exchange interaction of the Cu(2+) spins primarily determined the ferromagnetic ordering of CaCu(3)Ge(4)O(12) and CaCu(3)Sn(4)O(12), whereas the involvement of Ti 3d orbitals induced the antiferromagnetic property in CaCu(3)Ti(4)O(12).

A novel gold(III) complex with a monodentate 5,5-dimethylhydantoin ligand, [Au(dmh)4]-, is square planar in geometry, inert and highly stable in alkaline solutions because of soft acid-base interactions, and electrochemically reduced near -0.3 V vs Ag/AgCl to give a gold(0) film with a high current efficiency.

Solid solutions of Pauli-paramagnetic CaCu3V4O12 and antiferromagnetic CaMn3V4O12 were prepared by a high-pressure synthesis technique. All samples crystallized in the A-site-ordered perovskite structure with isovalent Cu(2+) and Mn(2+) ions at the square-planar A' site. The V ion at the B site kept a charge state close to +4 in all of the solid solutions, and the electrons of V were delocalized and contributed to the metallic properties. The substitution of Mn(2+) for Cu(2+) in CaCu3V4O12, where both Cu and V electrons were delocalized, produced the S = 5/2 localized moments, and the spins at the Mn site interacted antiferromagnetically. Spin-glass-like magnetic behaviors due to the random distribution of Cu/Mn ions at the A' site were observed at intermediate compositions of the solid solution, whereas the antiferromagnetic transition was observed at the end composition CaMn3V4O12.

The A-site-ordered perovskite YMn(3)Al(4)O(12) was prepared by high-pressure synthesis. Structural analysis with synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data and the Mn L-edges X-ray absorption spectrum revealed that the compound has a chemical composition Y(3+)Mn(3+)(3)Al(3+)(4)O(2-)(12) with magnetic Mn(3+) at the A' site and non-magnetic Al(3+) at the B site. An antiferromagnetic interaction between the A'-site Mn(3+) spins is induced by the nearest neighboring Mn-Mn direct exchange interaction and causes an antiferromagnetic transition at 34.3 K.