Synthesis, structure and properties of Pb2Bi2AlB3O11

Single crystals of Pb2Bi2AlB3O11 were grown from a PbO/Bi2O3/Al2O3/H3BO3/PbF2 flux. The single-crystal X-ray structural analysis showed that Pb2Bi2AlB3O11 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c (No. 15) with a = 17.263(2) Å, b = 8.7322(11) Å, c = 6.8081(9) Å, α = 90°, β = 90.566(2)°, γ = 90°, Z = 4 and R1 = 0.0393, wR2 = 0.1013. Its structure may be described as three-dimensional frameworks formed of (1 0 0) [Pb6Bi6Al3O6]∞ layers stacked along a-axis. The layers are interconnected via BO3 groups. The IR spectrum further confirmed the presence of BO3 groups in the structure. The thermal analysis suggests that Pb2Bi2AlB3O11 is a congruently melting compound.

► Pb2Bi2AlB3O11 was synthesized for the first time and its crystal structure is novel.
► Its structure may be described as three-dimensional framework formed of (1 0 0) [Pb6Bi6Al3O6]∞ layers stacked along a-axis.
► Pb2Bi2AlB3O11 is a congruently melting compound, which shows that it can be grown by Czochralski method.