Structural characterization of moganite-type AlPO4 by NMR and powder X-ray diffraction.

Structural characterization of a new high-pressure AlPO(4) phase synthesized at 5 GPa and 1500 °C is reported. The phase is monoclinic (P2/a) with a = 8.7437(1) Å, b = 4.8584(1) Å, c = 10.8600(2) Å, β = 90.124(1)° (Z = 6). (31)P MAS NMR and two-dimensional (2D) (27)Al triple-quantum (3Q) MAS NMR revealed that it contains two tetrahedral P sites of 1:2 abundance ratio, and two tetrahedral Al sites with 1:2 ratio. 2D (31)P dipolar-recoupled double-quantum (DQ) MAS NMR and (27)Al → (31)P dipolar-based (through-space) and J coupling-based (through-bond) 3Q-heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) experiments provided direct information on the linkages of these sites. The crystal structure was solved and refined from synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data utilizing the information from NMR. The phase is isostructural to moganite, a rare SiO(2) polymorph, and its structure can be derived from the latter via an ordered replacement of tetrahedral Si sites by Al and P. The NMR parameters of the phase were also calculated by first-principles method, which are consistent with those observed. Contrary to the other moganite phases known to date (i.e., SiO(2) and PON), moganite-AlPO(4) has a higher-pressure stability field than the corresponding quartz phase. This is the first moganite-type phase found in the ABX(4) system.