Synthesis and Rietvald structure refinement of K–Zn priderite single crystals

High purity and twin free single crystals of one dimensional KxZnyTi8−yO16 priderites have been grown from a melt of K2O–MoO3 using the flux zone technique. The crystal structure has been investigated by Rietvald analysis of powder X-ray diffraction data. The crystal symmetry could be best described by the space group of I4/m. The exact coordinates of atoms, the unit cell dimensions, the atom occupation factors, the profile shape parameters as well as the interatomic distances have been determined. It was found that substitution of Zn increases the cell dimensions when compared to K–Mg priderites but similar to K–Nb based compounds. The composition and the nature of habit planes were identified from the scanning electron microscope observations. The conductivity parameters using impedance spectroscopy between 300 and 820 K indicated that the compound exhibits a low DC conductivity and a conductivity of 1.68 × 10− 3 S cm− 1 at 100 kHz.