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Exploring new nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) in the infrared (IR) region is vital for the development of technologies relying on tunable laser sys...

In this study, two quaternary diamond-like semiconductors (DLSs) in the Cu-Zn-Ge-Se system, the known Cu2ZnGeSe4 (also referred to as CZGSe) and the new Cu4ZnGe2Se7, are compared in terms of their crystal structures, electronic structures and physicochemical properties. Both compounds were prepared by high-temperature, solid-state synthesis at 800 °C. Single crystal X-ray diffraction was used to determine the structure of Cu4ZnGe2Se7. The structures of both Cu2ZnGeSe4 and Cu4ZnGe2Se7 can be considered as derivatives of cubic diamond. Cu4ZnGe2Se7, with a reduced symmetry due to the cation ordering pattern, adopts the Cu4NiSi2S7 structure type, with space group C2. The corner-sharing tetrahedra in Cu4ZnGe2Se7 are slightly distorted because the charge for some of the S2- anions is not compensated by the first-nearest-neighbor cations. Rietveld refinements using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data were used to assess the phase purity of the samples and confirm the bulk structural behavior. Diffuse reflectance UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy shows that Cu2ZnGeSe4 and Cu4ZnGe2Se7 have direct optical bandgaps of 1.38 and 0.91 eV, respectively. Electronic structure calculations implementing density functional theory confirm the direct bandgap for Cu4ZnGe2Se7, with a calculated value of 0.62 eV. Both compounds are air stable, thermally stable up to relatively high temperatures, undergo phase transitions and have wide windows of optical clarity. The Kurtz-Perry powder technique was used to determine the second harmonic generation (SHG) responses using a commercial AgGaSe2 standard. While Cu4ZnGe2Se7 displays a weak SHG response, Cu2ZnGeSe4 exhibits a response that is greater than several benchmark materials, with a large SHG coefficient, χ ( 2 ) , of 43 ± 6 pm/V at λ = 2900 nm.

Novel quaternary lanthanide-substituted oxides of stoichiometry Ln x Y 2−x Ti 2 O 7 (where Ln is lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, or ytterbium) were prepared by traditional high-temperature, solid-state techniques and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. Samples with nominal values of x up to 1.0 were attempted. The well-studied ternary cubic pyrochlore compound yttrium titanium oxide (Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 , space group Fd- 3 m , Z = 8), served as a parent structural framework in which Ln 3+ cations were substituted on the Y 3+ site. Laboratory-grade X-ray powder diffraction data revealed pure quaternary pyrochlore phases for Ln x Y 2−x Ti 2 O 7 with x ≤ 0.2. Pyrochlore phase purity was verified by Rietveld analysis using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data when x ≤ 0.2, however, for La 3+ substitution specifically, pure quaternary pyrochlore formed at x

While X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) is a fundamental analytical technique used by solid-state laboratories across a breadth of disciplines, it is still underrepresented in most undergraduate curricula. In this work, we incorporate XRPD analysis into an inquiry-based project that requires students to identify the crystalline component(s) of familiar household products. Centering the project on materials which students encounter in their everyday lives helps to demystify the technique, making it accessible to everyone with a basic understanding of crystallinity and unit cells. In an XRPD study, each crystalline component generates a unique set of peaks in the diffractogram. Comparing the collected diffractogram to a library of diffractograms for known crystalline materials allows students to identify the crystalline components in their unknown. Students must determine for themselves the chemical compositions of the possible unknowns, and link their findings back to the analysis of the collected data. Init...

Three series of quaternary rare-earth transition-metal pnictides REMM′Pn2 (M=Cu, Ag; M′=Zn; Pn=P, As) have been prepared by reaction of the elements at 800 °C, with crystal growth promoted through the addition of iodine. The extent of RE substitution is broad in these series: RECuZnAs2 (RE=Y, La Nd, Sm, Gd–Lu), REAgZnP2 (RE=La–Nd, Sm, Gd–Dy), and REAgZnAs2 (RE=La Nd, Sm, Gd Dy). Powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that they adopt the trigonal CaAl2Si2-type structure (space group P 3 ¯ m1, Z=1), in which Cu or Ag atoms are disordered with Zn atoms over the unique tetrahedrally coordinated transition-metal site. Magnetic measurements indicated Curie–Weiss behavior for several members of the RECuZnAs2 and REAgZnP2 series. Core-line X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) collected on some RECuZnAs2 members corroborate the charge assignment deduced by the Zintl concept for these compounds, (RE3+)(M1+)(Zn2+)(Pn3−)2. Optical diffuse reflectance spectra and valence band XPS spectra established that these compounds are small band-gap semiconductors (up to ~0.8 eV in REAgZnP2) or semimetals (RECuZnAs2). Band structure calculations also support this electronic structure and indicate that the band gap can be narrowed through appropriate chemical substitution (RE=smaller atoms, M=Cu, and Pn=As).

Iron-containing diamond-like materials Ag2FeSiS4, Li2FeSnS4, and Li2FeGeS4 were synthesized for the first time via high-temperature, solid-state synthesis and found to adopt the wurtz–kesterite structure, crystallizing in the noncentrosymmetric space group Pn. These materials are considered in the broader context of design principles for new cubic- and hexagonal-derived diamond-like materials. All three of these new compounds violate Pauling’s radius ratio rule and Pfitzner’s tetrahedral volume theory. An evaluation of the adherence of over 40 published quaternary diamond-like structures to Pauling’s radius ratio rule and Pfitzner’s tetrahedral volume theory reveals that tetrahedral structures can often be generated even though these ideals are violated. To assess the radius ratios in diamond-like structures, an appropriate radii set must be selected. Accordingly, five radii sets have been investigated for accuracy in predicting metal–sulfur bond distances in diamond-like materials. Furthermore, a crystal radius of 1.63 A for four-coordinate S2− has been calculated using the metal–sulfur bond lengths of quaternary diamond-like materials and is proposed as an addition to the popular Shannon radii set.

The quaternary diamond-like semiconductor, Cu2ZnSiS4, was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state synthesis at 1000 °C. High-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction of this product revealed the presence of two polymorphs. This data confirms that the known α-Cu2ZnSiS4 exists with the wurtz-stannite structure in the noncentrosymmetric space group Pmn21. The new polymorph, β-Cu2ZnSiS4, crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric space group Pn with a = 6.134092(6) A, b = 6.392752(5) A, c = 7.421228(8) A, β = 90.056(1)°, Z = 2, χ2 = 5.554, Rp = 0.0857 and wRp = 0.1173. Electronic structure calculations performed for both polymorphs indicate direct bandgaps of 1.3 and 1.7 eV at the Γ-point, respectively.

Single crystals of the new diamond-like semiconductor Ag 2 ZnSiS 4 have been synthesized using high-temperature, solid state synthesis at 800 °C. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic, noncentrosymmetric space group Pn with a = 6.4052(1) A, b = 6.5484(1) A, c = 7.9340(1) A, β = 90.455(1)° and R 1 (for all data) = 2.42%. The electronic band structure and density of states were calculated using density functional theory (DFT) and the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (LAPW) method within the Wien2k program suite. The calculated band structure suggests that Ag 2 ZnSiS 4 is a direct band gap semiconductor with a calculated band gap of 1.88 eV at the Γ-point. The calculated density of states of Ag 2 ZnSiS 4 is compared with that of AgGaS 2 . The band gap of Ag 2 ZnSiS 4 was also determined experimentally as 3.28 eV via optical diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 meet several criteria for promising nonlinear optical materials for use in the infrared (IR) region. Both are air-stable, crystallize in noncentrosymmetric space groups, and possess high thermal stabilities. Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 display wide ranges of optical transparency, 1.4–25 and 0.7–25 μm, respectively, and have relatively large second-order nonlinearity as well as phase matchability for wide regions in the IR. The laser-damage threshold (LDT) for Cu2CdSnS4 is 0.2 GW/cm2, whereas α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 has a LDT of 2.0 GW/cm2 for picosecond near-IR excitation. Both compounds also exhibit efficient third-order nonlinearity. Electronic structure calculations provide insight into the variation in properties.

Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 meet several criteria for promising nonlinear optical materials for use in the infrared (IR) region. Both are air-stable, crystallize in noncentrosymmetric space groups, and possess high thermal stabilities. Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 display wide ranges of optical transparency, 1.4-25 and 0.7-25 μm, respectively, and have relatively large second-order nonlinearity as well as phase matchability for wide regions in the IR. The laser-damage threshold (LDT) for Cu2CdSnS4 is 0.2 GW/cm(2), whereas α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 has a LDT of 2.0 GW/cm(2) for picosecond near-IR excitation. Both compounds also exhibit efficient third-order nonlinearity. Electronic structure calculations provide insight into the variation in properties.

Three series of quaternary pnictides, LnCuZnAs2 (Ln: Y, La—Nd, Sm, Gd—Lu), LnAgZnP2 (Ln: La—Nd, Sm, Gd—Dy), and LnAgZnAs2 (Ln: La—Nd, Sm, Gd—Dy) are prepared by solid reaction of the elements (evacuated silica tubes, 1.

Single crystalline diamond-like Ag2FeSiS4 (I), Li2FeSnS4 (II), and Li2FeGeS4 (III) are prepared by solid state reaction of stoichiometric mixtures of Li2S and the respective elemental powders (graphite crucible in evacuated silica tube, 700 °C, 4 d).

Cu2ZnSiS4 is synthesized by solid state reaction of the elements (graphite crucible, 1000 °C, 96 h).

Single crystals of the new title compound are prepared by solid state reaction of the elements (graphite crucible within an evacuated silica tube, 800 °C, 96 h).

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C(6)H(20)N(4))(2)[Sn(2)S(6)], comprises half of a [Sn(2)S(6)](4-) anion and a diprotonated tris-(2-amino-eth-yl)amine cation. The anion lies on an inversion center, while the atoms of the cation occupy general positions. An intra-molecular N-H⋯N hydrogen bond is observed in the cation. In the crystal, strong N-H⋯S hydrogen bonding between the terminal sulfur atoms of the anion and the protonated amine N atoms of the cations result in a three-dimensional network.

Single crystals of Cu(2)ZnSiS(4), dicopper(I) zinc silicon tetrasulfide, have been prepared via high-temperature solid-state synthesis. Cu(2)ZnSiS(4) was found to have the wurtz-stannite structure type, like that of Li(2)CdGeS(4), Li(2)CdSnS(4), and Cu(2)CdSiS(4). Each sulfur anion is tetra-hedrally coordinated by two Cu cations, one Si cation, and one Zn cation, forming a three-dimensional honeycomb structure. When viewed along the c axis, the atoms are aligned in rows in which each cation alternates with the sulfur anions.