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From an Impurity to the Pure Compound – an Electron Microscopy Study
Author(s) -
Kienle Lorenz,
Lukachuk M.,
Duppel V.,
Mattausch Hj.,
Simon A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.354
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1521-3749
pISSN - 0044-2313
DOI - 10.1002/zaac.200700236
Subject(s) - high resolution transmission electron microscopy , impurity , crystallography , electron microscope , octahedron , transmission electron microscopy , materials science , electron diffraction , homogeneous , phase (matter) , metal , analytical chemistry (journal) , scanning electron microscope , diffraction , chemistry , crystal structure , nanotechnology , physics , metallurgy , optics , chromatography , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , composite material
The power of electron microscopy techniques for the determination of structure and composition of marginal byproducts is demonstrated for rare earth metal cluster compounds. Small amounts of the new phase Gd 4 GaI 6 in samples with the nominal composition Gd 7 GaI 12 could only be identified by a combined approach of EDX, electron diffraction and HRTEM. The structure of Gd 4 GaI 6 can be assigned to the Y 4 BBr 6 ‐type containing chains of Gd 6 octahedra which are centered by Ga atoms. The results of the electron microscopy study initiated the synthesis of homogeneous samples of the new compound Gd 4 GaI 6 by applying the correct ratio of the starting materials.