Metastable indium oxyhydroxide (InOOH) and corundum-type indium oxide (In2O3): controllable synthesis, growth of single crystals and in-situ characterization of transformation paths and transient intermediates

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Similar to Al2O3 and Ga2O3 - other well-known oxides of the group 13 (IIIA) metals - In2O3 has been considered until recently to possess the well understood structural chemistry with no space for new discoveries. In the past few years this point of view has changed completely. Computation and synthesis of new indium oxide polymorphs and growth of single crystals of cubic In2O3 have opened new perspectives for inorganic chemistry and materials science. Despite the progress achieved in the last years, the In-O and In2O3-H2O systems are not fully understood, especially in respect to the tunable synthesis, crystallographic relationship and properties of metastable indium oxyhydroxide (InOOH) and In2O3 polymorphs. The project focuses on (i) controllable synthesis routes towards metastable o-InOOH and corundum-type (rh-) In2O3, (ii) growth of single crystals of metastable o-InOOH and rh-In2O3, (iii) understanding of crystallographic transformation path from indium hydroxide and oxyhydroxide to metastable In2O3 polymorphs, (iv) in-situ characterization of the phase transformations in the In-O and In2O3-H2O systems and (v) identification of transient intermediates.