New Bismuth Selenium Oxides: Syntheses, Structures, and Characterizations of Centrosymmetric Bi2(SeO3)2(SeO4) and Bi2(TeO3)2(SeO4) and Noncentrosymmetric Bi(SeO3)(HSeO3)

Polar Bismuth Selenite Iodate Oxide BiSeIO6 with Three Types of Lone Pair Cations in One Structure

Novel bismuth selenite iodate oxide BiSeIO₆ was synthesized in a mild hydrothermal condition. BiSeIO₆ was crystallized in the polar space group Pna2₁ of an orthorhombic system. The crystal structure features a three-dimensional framework composed of three types of lone pair cations with distorted BiO₇ polyhedra, SeO₃ pyramids, and IO₃ pyramids in one structure. Interestingly, BiSeIO₆ exhibits a strong and phase-matchable second-harmonic generation (SHG) of ∼6 times that of KH₂PO₄ (KDP). Dipole moment analysis shows that all three local acentric groups of BiO₇, SeO₃, and IO₃ cooperatively contribute to the large macroscopic polarization and thereby strong SHG efficiency of BiSeIO₆. In addition, BiSeIO₆ has a broad transparency range from 0.35 to 11 μm, indicating its promising nonlinear optical applications from visible to mid-infrared bands.

Polymorphism and Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysis of Doped Bi2O3:M (M = S, Se, and Re)

δ-Bi₂O₃:M (M = S, Se, and Re) with an oxygen-defective fluorite-type structure is obtained by a coprecipitation method starting from the bismuth oxido cluster [Bi₃₈O₄₅(OMc)₂₄(dmso)₉]·2dmso·7H₂O (A) in the presence of additives such as Na₂SO₄, Na₂SeO₄, NH₄ReO₄, Na₂SeO₃·5H₂O, and Na₂SO₃. The coprecipitation of the starting materials with aqueous NaOH results in the formation of alkaline reaction mixtures, and the cubic bismuth(III)-based oxides Bi₁₄O₂₀(SO₄) (1c), Bi₁₄O₂₀(SeO₄) (2c), Bi₁₄O₂₀(ReO_4.5) (3c), Bi_12.25O_16.625(SeO₃)_1.75 (4c), and Bi_10.51O_14.765(SO₃)_0.49(SO₄)_0.51 (5c) are obtained after microwave-assisted heating; formation of compound 5c is the result of partial oxidation of sulfur. The compounds 1c, 2c, 4c, and 5c absorb UV light only, whereas compound 3c absorbs in the visible-light region of the solar spectrum. Thermal treatment of the as-prepared metastable bismuth(III) oxide chalcogenates 1c and 2c at T = 600 °C provides a monotropic phase transition into their tetragonal polymorphs Bi₁₄O₂₀(SO₄) (1t) and Bi₁₄O₂₀(SeO₄) (2t), while compound 3c is transformed into the tetragonal modification of Bi₁₄O₂₀(ReO_4.5) (3t) after calcination at T = 700 °C. Compounds of the systems Bi₂O₃-SO_x (x = 2 and 3) and Bi₂O₃-Re₂O₇ are thermally stable up to T = 800 °C, whereas compounds of the system Bi₂O₃-SeO₃ completely lose SeO₃. Thermal treatment of 4c and 5c in air results in the oxidation of the tetravalent to hexavalent sulfur and selenium, respectively, upon heating to T = 400-500 °C. The as-prepared cubic bismuth(III)-based oxides 1c-5c were studied with regard to the photocatalytic decomposition of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation with compound 3c showing the highest turnover and efficiency.

Hydrogen-Bond-Assisted Alignment of [MCu(SeO3)4Cl(H2O)]4- (M = Fe, Ga) Anionic Layers to Form Two Polar Oxychlorides: Pb2MCu(SeO3)4Cl(H2O)

Two novel selenite oxychlorides Pb₂MCu(SeO₃)₄Cl(H₂O) (M = Fe, Ga) were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. They are isostructural and crystallize in the two-dimensional [MCu(SeO₃)₄Cl(H₂O)]^4- anionic layer structure mediated with hydrogen bonds and aligned between neighboring layers which assist in building the three-dimensional framework with a polar space group. Optical properties measurements revealed that the optical band gaps are 2.61 and 3.22 eV for Pb₂FeCu(SeO₃)₄Cl(H₂O) (1) and Pb₂GaCu(SeO₃)₄Cl(H₂O) (2) and the SHG responses are about 0.12 and 0.18 times that of KDP, respectively. Furthermore, 1 exhibits an interesting metamagnetic phenomenon under varied applied fields from around 1 to 4 T at 2 K, and 2 behaves with potential ferromagnetic ordering at low temperature.

In situ hydrothermal synthesis of polar second-order nonlinear optical selenate Na5(SeO4)(HSeO4)3(H2O)2

An alkali–metal selenate nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal, Na₅(SeO₄)(HSeO₄)₃(H₂O)₂, which possesses good second-order nonlinear optical properties, has been obtained by mild in situ hydrothermal synthesis.

Y2(Te4O10)(SO4): a new sulfate tellurite with a unique Te4O10 polyanion and large birefringence

Y₂(Te₄O₁₀)(SO₄), featuring a unique (Te₄O₁₀)⁴⁻ polyanion, exhibits a large birefringence (0.124@1064), wide energy band gap (4.1 eV) and high thermal stability (>700 °C), which make it a potential birefringent material.

BaLiTe2O5X (X = Cl, Br): mixed alkali/alkaline-earth metal tellurite halides with [Te2O5]∞ chains

Isostructural BaLiTe₂O₅X (X = Cl, Br) feature [BaLiTe₂O₅]_∞ double layers, demonstrating wide optical bandgaps and large birefringence.

Micro-nanostructured δ-Bi2O3 with surface oxygen vacancies as superior adsorbents for SeOx2- ions

Removal of the toxic selenium compounds, selenite (SeO₃^2-) and selenate (SeO₄^2-), from contaminated water is imperative for environmental protection in both developing and industrialized countries. Providing high selectivity adsorbents to the target ions is a big challenge. Here we report that micro sphere-like δ-Bi₂O₃ (MS-δ-Bi₂O₃) with surface oxygen vacancy defects can capture hypertoxic SeO_x^2- anions from aqueous solutions with superior capacity and fast uptake rate. High capture selectivity to SeO₃^2- anions is observed, since the O atoms of SeO₃^2- anions fill the oxygen vacancies on the (111) facet of δ-Bi₂O₃ forming a stable complex structure. This mechanism is distinctly different from other known mechanisms for anion removal, and implies that we may utilize surface defects as highly efficient and selective sites to capture specific toxic species. Thus, we present a new route here to design superior adsorbents for toxic ions.

Pb3(SeO3)Br4: a new nonlinear optical material with enhanced SHG response designedviaan ion-substitution strategy

A new NLO material has been designedviaion-substitution from a similar structure. It shows an enhanced SHG response equalling to that of KH₂PO₄(KDP) and a high laser damage threshold of 67 MW cm⁻¹.

Structural variety in zinc telluro-phosphates: syntheses, crystal structures and characterizations of Sr2Zn3Te2P2O14, Pb2Zn3Te2P2O14 and Ba2Zn2TeP2O11

Three new zinc telluro-phosphates, Sr2Zn3Te2P2O14 (1), Pb2Zn3Te2P2O14 (2) and Ba2Zn2TeP2O11 (3), were grown by flux method, and their crystal structures were solved by X-ray diffraction method. Although all three crystals crystallize into the same space group P21/c with similar chemical compositions, they exhibit different topology structure types. 1 features a two-dimensional layered structure with the connection of TeO4 and (Zn3TeP2O18)(16-) 12-membered rings (MRs), which are composed of planar square and tetrahedral configuration ZnO4 groups, tetrahedral PO4 and seesaw TeO4. Due to lone-pair Coulomb repulsion of Pb(2+), the structure of 2, which is also composed of unbalanced seesaw TeO4 and ZnO4 groups and distorted PO4 tetrahedra, is slightly different from that of its analog 1. Compound 3 exhibits a complicated three-dimensional network with (Zn2PO9)(9-) 6-MRs and (Zn2Te2O10)(8-) 8-MRs built from distorted tetrahedral ZnO4 and PO4 groups and trigonal pyramidal TeO3 units. According to UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectra, compounds 1, 2 and 3 are highly transparent in the range of 450 to 2500 nm with a UV cut-off of 275 nm, 330 nm and 278 nm, respectively. In addition, the characterizations, including thermal analyses, XPS measurement and dipole moment calculations, are also reported.

Bi2Te(IO3)O5Cl: a novel polar iodate oxychloride exhibiting a second-order nonlinear optical response

A novel iodate oxychloride Bi₂Te(IO₃)O₅Cl with a second-order nonlinear optical response originating from constructive stacking of dipole moments of IO₃.