In this paper, we describe the formation and luminescence of a new garnet phosphor for light emitting diode (LED) based lighting, Lu2CaMg2(Si,Ge)3O12:Ce3+. The regions for garnet phase formation are initially described with respect to larger rare earth substitution and show reasonable correlation to previous crystal chemistry studies for the garnet parent structure. While the pure silicate phosphor also has apatite second phases, a significant amount of Ce3+ enters the garnet phase, giving Ce3+ luminescence that is significantly redder when compared to typical Al3+ garnet phosphors with quantum efficiencies comparable to commercial Ce3+ garnet phosphors. Potential reasons for the emission red shift and the high quantum efficiency are discussed. Finally, the performance of these new phosphors is tested within LED based lamps. Lamps using these phosphors can reach color temperatures required for general illumination lighting and also have comparable phosphor conversion efficiencies when compared to lamps using typical garnet phosphors.

We have determined the structures of two phases of unsolvated Mg(BH(4))(2), a material of interest for hydrogen storage. One or both phases can be obtained depending on the synthesis conditions. The first, a hexagonal phase with space group P6(1), is stable below 453 K. Upon heating above that temperature it transforms to an orthorhombic phase, with space group Fddd, stable to 613 K at which point it decomposes with hydrogen release. Both phases consist of complex networks of corner-sharing tetrahedra consisting of a central Mg atom and four BH(4) units. The high-temperature orthorhombic phase has a strong antisite disorder in the a lattice direction, which can be understood on the basis of atomic structure.

The ammonia complex of magnesium borohydride Mg(BH4)2.2NH3 (I), which contains 16.0 wt % hydrogen, is a potentially promising material for hydrogen storage. This complex was synthesized by thermal decomposition of a hexaaammine complex Mg(BH4)2.6NH3 (II), which crystallizes in the cubic space group Fm3 m with unit cell parameter a=10.82(1) A and is isostructural to Mg(NH3) 6Cl2. We solved the structure of I that crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pcab with unit cell parameters a=17.4872(4) A, b=9.4132(2) A, c=8.7304(2) A, and Z=8. This structure is built from individual pseudotetrahedral molecules Mg(BH4)2.2NH3 containing one bidentate BH4 group and one tridentate BH4 group that pack into a layered crystal structure mediated by N-H...H-B dihydrogen bonds. Complex I decomposes endothermically starting at 150 degrees C, with a maximum hydrogen release rate at 205 degrees C, which makes it competitive with ammonia borane BH 3NH3 as a hydrogen storage material.

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