Single crystal growth and characterization of the reduced barium sodium siliconiobate, Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2.

Single crystals of Ba 3 Na 0.32 Nb 6 O 12 (Si 2 O 7 ) 2 were grown for the first time. The use of an alkali/alkaline earth eutectic flux facilitated the crystal growth. Ba 3 Na 0.32 Nb 6 O 12 (Si 2 O 7 ) 2 , a mixed valent Nb(V)/Nb(IV) compound, crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric hexagonal space group P -62 m with a = 8.9998(10) Å and c = 7.8119(17) Å. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility was measured and found to be paramagnetic across the entire 2–300 K temperature range measured. Although noncentrosymmetric, Ba 3 Na 0.32 Nb 6 O 12 (Si 2 O 7 ) 2 was not found to be second harmonic generation active. Ba 3 Na 0.32 Nb 6 O 12 (Si 2 O 7 ) 2 was further characterized by IR and UV/Vis spectroscopies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]