Synthesis and Characterization of New Rare-Earth Metal-Main Group Metal Materials

该项目旨在研究材料合成的四个相互关联的领域，重点是针对特定的稀土金属主族金属材料开发相图。研究了稀土金属磷酸盐、四元稀土金属硫代锑和铋、四元稀土金属硫代三酸盐和四元盐的四元相空间，以及这些材料的高压物理行为。一种假设将证明，暗示产品的公式确实是有效的。在某些情况下，这些公式可以预测相关产物的空间群对称性。将探索相关材料的四元相图，以确定支持一系列硒磷酸盐的磷的特定氧化态的相空间区域。在一系列矿物学研究的基础上，还将研究其他目标配方，以探索如何控制物相和结构。将为一系列稀土金属硫化物和卤素化合物开发四元相图，无论三元化合物是镓和铟，还是三元化合物是锗和锡。%金属硫化物类材料与应用高度相关，包括催化光学器件，如激光、红外探测器和太阳能电池，以及作为制冷用热电材料的新材料。

This project is aimed at the study of four interrelated areas of materials synthesis with an emphasis on developing phase maps for targeting specific rare-earth metal main group metal materials. The quaternary phase space of rare-earth metal chalcophosphates, quaternary rare-earth metal chalcoantimonates and bismuthates, and quaternary rare-earth metal chalcotrielates and tetrelates, and the high-pressure physical behavior of these materials will be investigated. One hypothesis will demonstrate that formulae suggesting products are indeed valid. These formulae, in some cases, can predict the space group symmetry of the related products. The quaternary phase diagrams of related materials will be explored to identity regions of phase space that support particular oxidation state of phosphorous for a series of selenophosphates. Based on a series of mineralogical studies, other target formulae will be investigated to explore how phases and structures may be controlled. Quaternary phase diagrams will be developed for a series of rare-earth metal chalcotrielates and chalcotetrelates, whether the triels will gallium and indium and there tetrels will germanium and tin.%%%The metal chalcogerides class of materials are highly relevant to applications that include catalysis optical deices such as lasers, infrared detectors, and solar cells, and as new materials called thermoelectrics for refrigeration.