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High-pressure synthesis, long-term stability of single crystals of diboron trioxide, B2O3, and an empirical electronic polarizability of [3]B3+

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals volume 43, pages 527–534 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Single crystals of B2O3 are needed for the precise determination of the refractive indices used to calculate the electronic polarizability α of 3-coordinated boron. The α(B) values in turn are used to predict mean refractive indices of borate minerals. Since the contribution of boron to the total polarizability of a mineral is very low, the synthetic compound B2O3 represents an ideal model system because of its high molar content of boron. Millimeter-sized crystals were synthesized at 1 GPa in a piston-cylinder apparatus. The samples were heated above the liquidus (800 °C), subsequently cooled at 15 °C/h to 500 °C and finally quenched. The refractive indices were determined by the immersion method using a microrefractometer spindle stage. The refractive indices n o = 1.653 (3) and n e = 1.632 (3) correspond to a total polarizability for B2O3 of α = 4.877 Å3. These values were used to determine the electronic polarizability of boron of α(B) = 0.16 Å3. Although the surface of the B2O3 crystals was coated with a hydrous film immediately after being exposed to air, its bulk crystallinity is retained for a period of at least 2 months.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for funding this project under grant Fi442/21-1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Manfred Burianek, Johannes Birkenstock & Reinhard X. Fischer

  2. Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Philipp Mair & Volker Kahlenberg

  3. Institute of Mineralogy, University of Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    Olaf Medenbach

  4. Geological Sciences/CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Robert D. Shannon

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  1. Manfred Burianek
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  2. Johannes Birkenstock
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  3. Philipp Mair
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  4. Volker Kahlenberg
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  5. Olaf Medenbach
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  6. Robert D. Shannon
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  7. Reinhard X. Fischer
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Correspondence to Reinhard X. Fischer.

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Burianek, M., Birkenstock, J., Mair, P. et al. High-pressure synthesis, long-term stability of single crystals of diboron trioxide, B2O3, and an empirical electronic polarizability of [3]B3+ . Phys Chem Minerals 43, 527–534 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-016-0813-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-016-0813-x

Keywords

  • B2O3
  • High-pressure synthesis
  • Refractive indices
  • Electronic polarizability
  • Crystal structure
  • Long-term stability