High-pressure synthesis, crystal structures, and properties of perovskite-like BiAlO3 and pyroxene-like BiGaO3

New oxides, BiAlO3 and BiGaO3, were prepared using a high-pressure high-temperature technique at 6 GPa and 1273-1473 K. BiAlO3 is isotopic with multiferroic perovskite-like BiFeO3 and has octahedrally coordinated Al3+ ions. Structure parameters of BiAlO3 were refined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data (space group R3c; Z = 6; a = 5.37546(5) angstrom and c = 13.3933(l) angstrom). BiGaO3 has the structure closely related to pyroxene-like KVO3, Structure parameters of BiGaO3 were refined from time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction data (space group Pcca; Z = 4; a = 5.4162(2) angstrom, b = 5.1335(3) angstrom, and c = 9.9369(5) angstrom). The GaO4 tetrahedra in BiGaO3 are joined by corners forming infinite (GaO3)(3-) chains along the a axis. Bi3+ ions in BiGaO3 have 6-fold coordination. Both BiAlO3 and BiGaO3 decompose at ambient pressure on heating above 820 K to give Bi2M4O9 and Bi25MO39 (M = Al and Ga). Vibrational properties of BiAlO3 and BiGaO3 were studied by Raman spectroscopy. In solid solutions of BiAl1-xGaxO3, a C-centered monoclinic phase structurally related to PbTiO3 with lattice parameters of a = 5.1917(4) angstrom, b = 5.1783(4) angstrom, c = 4.4937(3) angstrom, and beta = 91.853(3)degrees was found.