Study by X-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy of the environment and oxidation states of metals in the oxides: Bi1.6Pb0.4PtO4, Pb2PtO4 and PbPt2O4

A knowledge of the structure and oxidation state of the metal allows to pre dict the possible conductivity type of the metal oxides. The compounds Bi1. 6Pb0.4PtO4 and PbPt2O4 exhibit a semi-conductor and conductor character, re spectively, resulting from the existence of the transition metal at differe nt oxidation states within these oxides. The structural determinations show that, in all cases, platinum exists at two oxidation states (+2 in square- planar environment and +4 in octahedral environment) along the metallic cha in. Pb2PtO4 is an insulator and platinum, in this case, has a unique oxidat ion state (+4) in an octahedral environment. A photoelectron spectroscopic study supported all the results obtained by X-ray diffraction.