Pressure-induced structural phase transition in corundum-related class Cu3TeO6.

The high pressure structural changes of Cu₃TeO₆ have been investigated by using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy up to 23.2(4) and 45.9(7) GPa, respectively. It was found that Cu₃TeO₆ transformed from the cubic (Ia-3) structure to the orthorhombic (Ibca) structure around 8.6(1) GPa, and the phase transition was reversible. The phase transformation was subtle because of the similarity between two crystal structures. A large internal lattice strain could be the cause to the pressure-induced structural phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]