High-pressure rare earth silicates: Lanthanum silicate with barium phosphate structure, holmium silicate apatite, and lutetium disilicate type X

The phase relations of a wide selection of rare earth disilicates have been investigated up to 10 GPa and 1700 °C using piston cylinder and multi-anvil equipment. Single-crystal X-ray structures have been obtained for the following high-pressure phases: (1) La2.67(SiO4)2: monoclinic, space group C2/m, Z=2, a=9.419(2), b=5.445(1), c=7.214(1) Å, β=115.71(3)°, R=0.042; disordered Ba3(PO4)2 structure type, with 3×b and 7×b superstructures identified. (2) Ho8.67(SiO4)6(OH)2: hexagonal, P63/m, Z=1, a=9.3221(4), c=6.7347(2) Å, R=0.026; silicate hydroxyapatite. (3) Lu2Si2O7: tetragonal, P41212, Z=4, a=6.5620(2), c=11.9535(4) Å, R=0.023; type X diorthosilicate structure, and the silicate analogue of tetragonal Er2Ge2O7.

Graphical AbstractIdeal structure of barium phosphate-type La2.67(SiO4)2.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide