The crystal structure and luminescence properties of the first lithium oxonitridolithosilicate LiSiNO:Eu.

The compound LiSiNO:Eu was synthesized in high temperature solid-state reactions in weld shut tantalum ampules and the crystal structure of LiSiNO has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group 2/ (no. 15) with the lattice parameters = 1049.01(3), = 1103.42(3), = 511.86(2) pm, = 116.14(1)°, and a volume of = 0.53187(2) nm. This compound is built up from two different layers, which are arranged alternately along the crystallographic -axis. The results from single-crystal diffraction were confirmed by the Rietveld analysis of bulk samples. Moreover, LiSiNO could be successfully doped with the activator ion Eu and the luminescence spectroscopy of single-crystals revealed broad band emission at = 601 nm (fwhm = 90 nm).