This month's crystal clear is a barium borate crystal.
Inorganic borates are of interest due to their physical properties in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum,making them potentially useful materials in non-linear optics.The image is of a crystal created by T.B.Bekker et al from theSiberian Branch of Russian Academy of 新利手机客户端Sciencesand published inIssue 20的CrystEngComm.
The team were studying the BaB2O4–BaF2–BaO system and discovered the new non-centrosymmetric solid-solution series Ba7(BO3)4−xF2+3x.For more information on the group's discoveries you can download the full paper which is free to access for 4 weeks.
Phase formation in the BaB2O4–BaF2–BaO system and new non-centrosymmetric solid-solution series Ba7(BO3)4−xF2+3x
T.B.Bekker,年代。V.Rashchenko,V.V.Bakakin,Yu.V.Seryotkin,P.P.Fedorov,A.E.Kokh and S.Yu.Stonoga
CrystEngComm,2012,14,6910-6915
DOI: 10.1039/C2CE26122G
