Syntheses and structures of Li3ScF6 and high pressure LiScF4-, luminescence properties of LiScF4, a new phase in the system LiF-ScF3

摘要

Colorless single crystals of Li3ScF6 have been prepared by reacting the binary components LiF and ScF3 at 820 degrees C for 16h in argon atmosphere. This complex fluoride is the only stable phase in the system LiF-ScF3 under ambient pressure. According to a structure refinement based on single crystal X-ray diffraction data it crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P3cl with a = 8.78.3(1) angstrom and c = 9.518(1) angstrom. The new structure of Li3ScF6 is a filled variant of the Na2GeF6 type structure and can be described in terms of a hexagonal close packing of fluorine in which 2/3 of the octahedral holes are occupied by Sc and Li.High pressure/high temperature studies of the system LiF-ScF3 show that the new phase LiScF4 is formed at around 5.5 GPa and 575 degrees C. According to Rietveld refinements of powder X-ray diffraction data LiScF4 adopts the Scheelite type structure (space group I4(1)/a) with a = 4.980(1) angstrom and c = 10.074(1) angstrom. A sample of LiScF4 doped with 1% Er exhibits an intense luminescence in the far IR region. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.