Pressure induced phase transition in Pb6Bi2S9

Lars Arnskov Olsen, Karen Friese, Emil Makovicky, Tonci Balic Zunic, Wolfgang Morgenroth, Andrzej Grzechnik

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Abstract

The crystal structure of Pb6Bi2S9 is investigated at pressures between 0 and 5.6 GPa with X-ray diffraction on single-crystals. The pressure is applied using diamond anvil cells. Heyrovskyite (Bbmm, a = 13.719(4) Å, b = 31.393(9) Å, c = 4.1319(10) Å, Z = 4) is the stable phase of Pb6Bi2S9 at ambient conditions and is built from distorted moduli of PbS-archetype structure with a low stereochemical activity of the Pb2+ and Bi3+ lone electron pairs. Heyrovskyite is stable until at least 3.9 GPa and a first-order phase transition occurs between 3.9 and 4.8 GPa. A single-crystal is retained after the reversible phase transition despite an anisotropic contraction of the unit cell and a volume decrease of 4.2%. The crystal structure of the high pressure phase, ß-Pb6Bi2S9, is solved in Pna21 (a = 25.302(7) Å, b = 30.819(9) Å, c = 4.0640(13) Å, Z = 8) from synchrotron data at 5.06 GPa. This structure consists of two types of moduli with SnS/TlI archetype structure in which the Pb and Bi lone pairs are strongly expressed. The mechanism of the phase transition is described in detail and the results are compared to the closely related phase transition in Pb3Bi2S6 (lillianite).

Original languageEnglish
JournalPhysics and Chemistry of Minerals
Volume38
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
ISSN0342-1791
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

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