Single crystal growth and characterization of the reduced barium sodium siliconiobate, Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2

• Single crystals of Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2 were grown from a chloride melt.
• Purity was confirmed via powder X-ray diffraction.
• Optical properties were studied via IR and UV/Vis spectroscopies.
• Magnetic properties were studied via susceptibility.

Single crystals of Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2 were grown for the first time. The use of an alkali/alkaline earth eutectic flux facilitated the crystal growth. Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2, a mixed valent Nb(V)/Nb(IV) compound, crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric hexagonal space group P-62m with a = 8.9998(10) Å and c = 7.8119(17) Å. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility was measured and found to be paramagnetic across the entire 2–300 K temperature range measured. Although noncentrosymmetric, Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2 was not found to be second harmonic generation active. Ba3Na0.32Nb6O12(Si2O7)2 was further characterized by IR and UV/Vis spectroscopies.

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