Materials Discovery by Flux Crystal Growth: Quaternary and Higher Order Oxides

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie (International ed.) Vol. 51; no. 16; pp. 3780 - 3811
• Main Authors: Bugaris, Daniel E., zur Loye, Hans-Conrad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 16.04.2012; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Wiley
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: catalysis (heterogeneous), energy storage (including batteries and capacitors), hydrogen and fuel cells, mechanical behavior, charge transport, membrane, carbon sequestration, materials and chemistry by design, synthesis (novel materials), synthesis (self-assembly), synthesis (scalable processing); Crystal growth; Crystals; Dissolution; Flux; Fluxes; high-temperature solution; Oxides; Searching; solid-state chemistry; Solvents
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201102676

This Review highlights the application of high‐temperature solutions for exploratory crystal growth and materials discovery of novel complex oxides. It provides an overview of the method of flux crystal growth of complex oxides and can function as a “how to” guide for those interested in oxide crystal growth. The most commonly used fluxes are discussed in terms of their applicability for dissolving specific elements and the typical reaction conditions are compiled. A large variety of recent quaternary and higher oxides that have been grown as crystals from fluxes are used to illustrate the power of the flux method to grow oxide crystals containing specific elements. The flux of the matter: The search for the “First Material”, the archetype in which a new phenomenon is first observed, has been a prime motivator for materials research. One method to discover such “First Materials” is crystal growth from high‐temperature solutions using a flux as solvent (see scheme). This approach has been extremely successful in the discovery of new materials and is described using quaternary and higher oxides as examples.