Exploratory crystal growth continues to be one of the most effective approaches for investigating phase space and for identifying new compositions with new structures and properties.  The two most commonly used techniques for crystallizing solid-state inorganic solids rely on high temperature solutions (fluxes) or hydrothermal (supercritical water) methods. Among the high temperature fluxes, molten hydroxides are one of the most effective solvents for oxides and have been shown to be very effective for the growth of high quality mixed-metal oxide single crystals.  In this presentation we introduce a variant on this approach, the use of a low temperature hydroflux, a hybrid approach between the aqueous hydrothermal and the molten hydroxide flux techniques, which can be used to grow high quality single crystals of mixed-metal hydroxides.  Specifically we will discuss the synthesis of a series mixed-metal hydroxometallates, including Sr2Mn(OH)6, Ba2Mn(OH)6, Sr2Co(OH)6, Ba2Co(OH)6, Sr2Ni(OH)6, Ba2Ni(OH)6, Ba2Cu(OH)6, Sr3Cr2(OH)12, Sr2Pt(OH)8, Ba2Pt(OH)8, Sr6NaPd2(OH)17.  The structures and properties of the mixed metal hydroxometallates, as well as of their thermal decomposition products, will be presented.

Exploratory crystal growth of hydroxometallates using a hydroflux

244th National Meeting (2012)

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