Phase diagram of the La–Si binary system under high pressure and the structures of superconducting LaSi5 and LaSi10

The La-Si binary phase diagram under a high pressure of 13.5 GPa was experimentally constructed. New superconducting silicides LaSi{sub 5} and LaSi{sub 10} were found, which have peritectic decomposition temperatures at 1000 and 750 deg. C, respectively. The single crystal X-ray structural analysis revealed that there are two polymorphs in LaSi{sub 5}. The alpha-form obtained by heating a molar mixture of LaSi{sub 2} and 3 Si at about 700 deg. C or by a rapid cooling from 1000 deg. C under pressure crystallizes with the space group C2/m and the lattice parameters a=15.11(3), b=4.032(6), c=8.26(1) A, and beta=109.11(1){sup o}. The beta-form obtained by a slow cooling from 800-950 deg. C to 600 deg. C under pressure has the same space group but with slightly different lattice parameters, a=14.922(7), b=3.906(2), c=8.807(4) A, and beta=107.19(1){sup o}. The beta-form is formed during the incomplete transformation of the alpha-form on cooling, and has always been obtained as a mixture with the alpha-form. The compound can be characterized as a Zintl phase with a polyanionic framework {sub i}nfinity{sup 3}[Si{sub 5}]{sup 3-} with large tunnels running along the b axis hosting lanthanum ions. In the beta-form, three of the five Si sites are disordered. The twomore » polymorphs contain one dimensional sila-polyacene ribbons, Si ladder polymer, running along the b axis. The alpha-form showed superconductivity with the transition temperature T{sub c} of 11.5 K. LaSi{sub 10} crystallizes with the space group 6{sub 3}/mmc and the lattice parameters a=9.623(4), c=4.723(3) A. It is composed of La containing Si{sub 18} polyhedra (La-Si{sub 18}) of hexagonal beer-barrel shape, which form straight columns by stacking along the c-axis via face sharing. One-dimensional columns of La-Si{sub 18} barrels are edge-shared, and bundled with infinite Si trigonal bipyramid chains via corner sharing. The Si atoms in the straight chains have a five-fold coordination. LaSi{sub 10} became a superconductor with T{sub c}=6.7 K. The ab initio calculation of the electric band structures showed that alpha-LaSi{sub 5} and LaSi{sub 10} are metallic, and the conduction electrons mainly come from Si-3p orbitals. - Graphical abstract: In the study of the phase diagram of the La-Si binary system under high pressure and high temperature conditions, new Si-rich superconducting LaSi{sub 5} (T{sub c}=11.5 K) and LaSi{sub 10} (T{sub c}=6.7 K) have been found. LaSi{sub 5} contain unique one-dimensional sila-polyacene ribbons, and LaSi{sub 10} has a hexagonal columnar structure formed by face shared La-Si{sub 18} polyhedra.« less