Synthesis and structure change of Ba1-xBixMnO3

Polycrystalline samples of Ba1-xBixMnO3 were synthesized over a wide Bi con centration range and examined by X-ray powder diffraction, electron diffrac tion and compositional analysis. The metal composition of the platelet-like crystals was Ba:Bi:Mn = 47.8:2.3:49.9 for nominal composition x = 0.05 and 0.1. A hexagonal shaped and platelet-like single crystal with the size of 160 x 150 x 15 mu m(3) was obtained by a melt and growth technique using (B a0.9Bi0.1)MnO3 as precursor and Bi2O3 as flux. The chemical composition of as-grown crystals was nearly the same as the bulk specimen. The relationshi p between the average ionic radius of the Ba/Bi cations in the A site and B i content showed that the 9R phase was stabilized for x = 0.05. (C) 1999 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.