Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol.285, No.1-2, 81-87, 2005
Single crystal T0.3MoO3 growth by electrolytic reduction method of a T1(2)CO(3)-MoO3 melts
Single crystals of quasi-one-dimensional charge-density-wave conductor blue bronze Tl0.3MoO3 have been grown by electrolytic reduction method using the raw materials Tl2CO3-MoO3 with composition around 1:4.3 mol ration. The electrolytic temperature was about 570 degrees C, and electrolytic current was 25 mA during the electrolytic process. By this method, the Tl0.3MoO3 single crystals obtained have a relatively large average size and high quality. Platelet crystals with typical dimensions of 7 x 2 x 1 mm(3) were obtained. The crystal structure is monoclinic with space group C2/m. The parameters of the unit cell of the single crystal are as follows: a = 18.486(6)angstrom, b = 7.555(2)angstrom, c = 10.032(3)angstrom and beta = 118.38(3)degrees. The C-center symmetry of Tl0.3MoO3 crystal is demonstrated by the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns in the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve of the (201) Bragg peak of the Tl0.3MoO3 was approximately 0.4 degrees. These are evidences that the single crystal is of high quality. The temperature dependence of the resistivity shows that a metal-semiconductor transition occurs near 181 K. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:electrolytic reduction;single crystal growth;thallium blue bronze Tl-0.3MoO3;charge density wave