New double borate Rb3HoB6O12: synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Objective. At the present time the interest of researchers has arisen to complex borates as selffrequency doubling crystals, which combine laser and non-linear optical properties due to the presence of rare-earth elements and the borate matrix. Recently, we reported on the properties of the new noncentrosymmetric borates: Rb₃NdB₆O₁₂ and Rb₃EuB₆O₁₂. The main purpose of this paper is to synthesize and to characterize new double borate Rb₃HoB₆O₁₂ .

Methods and methodology. In our study we use synthesis methods of solid state reaction and citrate sol-gel synthesis. Our analysis is based on X-ray powder diffraction method, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy.

Results. Polycrystalline Rb₃HoB₆O₁₂  was prepared by sol-gel synthesis The purity of the double borate was confi rmed by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. While specimens obtained by solid–state reactions show Rb₃HoB₆O₁₂ and small amount of impurity HoBO3. Indexing of the diffraction pattern of single-phase Rb₃HoB₆O₁₂  by the isostructural compounds RbREB₆O₁₂ (RE = Nd, Eu) showed satisfactory results. Rb3HoB6O12 crystallized in space group R32 with unit cell parameters a = 13.4038(7), с = 30.315(2) Å, V = 4716.76 Å3. From differential scanning calorimetry measurements, the incongruent melting temperature Rb3HoB6O12 is observed at 818 °С. From scanning electron microscopy observations, single particles with sizes up to 100 μm formed by solid phase synthesis. The sol-gel synthesis resulted in the agglomerates 50–100 μm in size formed by strongly coalescent individual grains with a diameter below 2–3 μm.

Conclusions. New double borate Rb₃HoB₆O₁₂ were prepared by sol-gel synthesis. Obtained Rb3HoB6О12 is single-phase with average particle size of 50–100 μm. The unit cell volumes and the parameters Rb3REB6О12 (RE = Nd, Eu, Ho) correlate.

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