Preparation and high resolution structural studies of LixAg1-xNbO3 lead free piezoelectrics

Impact of Li Doping on the Structure and Phase Stability in AgNbO3

“…In our earlier PND study of this composition at room temperature, the presence of a small amount of a rhombohedral phase was identified, and this was included in the present refinements. 33 Rietveld analysis of the data measured at room temperature suggested this constituted 7.5 (5) wt % of the sample. This rhombohedral phase persisted to ∼450 K, that is, where the transformation to the nonpolar Pbnm structure occurred.…”

“…Polycrystalline samples of Ag 1−x Li x NbO 3 were prepared using solidstate methods as described previously. 33 Synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data were collected over the angular range of 5°< 2θ < 85°, using X-rays of wavelength 0.827052 Å, as determined by structural refinement of a diamond diluted NIST SRM 660b LaB 6 standard, on the powder diffractometer at beamline BL-10 of the Australian Synchrotron. 34 Each sample was housed in a 0.2 mm diameter quartz capillary that was rotated during the measurements.…”

“…Polycrystalline samples of Ag 1– x Li x NbO 3 were prepared using solid-state methods as described previously …”

“…At intermediate compositions, the samples contain a mixture of orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases. 33 The current contribution is concerned with the temperaturedependent phase transitions in some Li-doped AgNbO 3 materials. We start by revisiting the temperature-dependent structures of undoped AgNbO 3 before looking at the structure of several Li-doped examples.…”

“…As noted above, at room temperature AgNbO 3 displays an orthorhombic structure described in space group P 2 1 ma (an alternate setting of Pmc 2 1 ), whereas Ag 0.90 Li 0.10 NbO 3 is rhombohedral in R 3 c . At intermediate compositions, the samples contain a mixture of orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases …”