Phase relations in the system K2MoO4–KPO3–MoO3–Bi2O3: A new phosphate K3Bi5(PO4)6

Phase equilibrium in the pseudo-quaternary system K2O–MoO3–P2O5–Bi2O3 was studied as three-component solvent K2MoO4–KPO3–MoO3 containing 15 mol% Bi2O3 during slow cooling and spontaneous crystallization. The results of the investigation were shown on a composition diagram, which indicates the crystallization fields of K2Bi(PO4)(MoO4), K5Bi(MoO4)4, BiPO4 and K3Bi5(PO4)6. New phosphate K3Bi5(PO4)6 was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (space group C2/c, a=17.680(4), b=6.9370(14), c=18.700(4) Å, β=113.79(3)°) and FTIR spectroscopy. The possibility of lone electron pair stereoactivity of bismuth was suggested using the calculations of characteristics of the Voronoi–Dirichlet polyhedra for K3Bi5(PO4)6 and K2Bi(PO4)(MoO4).

Graphical abstractComposition diagram of the K2MoO4–KPO3–MoO3 system containing 15 mol% Bi2O3 with approximate fields of phase formation bismuth phosphates, molybdate and phosphate-molybdate.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide