Crystal chemistry of hydrothermally grown ternary alkali rare earth fluorides.

The structural variations of several alkali metal rare earth fluoride single crystals are summarized. Two different stoichiometric formulations are considered, namely those of ARE2F7 and ARE3F10 (A = K, Rb, Cs; RE = Y, La-Lu), over a wide range of ionic radii of both the alkali and rare earth (RE) ions. Previously reported and several new single-crystal structures are considered.

Hydrothermal Formation of Calcium Copper Tetrasilicate.

We describe the first hydrothermal synthesis of CaCuSi4 O10 as micron-scale clusters of thin platelets, distinct from morphologies generated under salt-flux or solid-state conditions. The hydrothermal reaction conditions are surprisingly specific: too cold, and instead of CaCuSi4 O10 , a porous calcium copper silicate forms; too hot, and calcium silicate (CaSiO3 ) forms. The precursors also strongly impact the course of the reaction, with the most common side product being sodium copper silicate (Na2 CuSi4 O10 ).