Chloride Flux Growth of La2Ti2O7 Crystals and Subsequent Nitridation To Form LaTiO2N Crystals

Highly crystalline, platelike La2Ti2O7 were grown from a NaCl flux, and LaTiO2N crystals were obtained by subsequent nitridation under NH3 flow. The TEM analysis indicated that the flux-grown platelike La2Ti2O7 crystals are single-crystalline growing along the a axis. The shapes and sizes of the LaTiO2N crystals were almost unchanged from the La2Ti2O7 precursor. In addition, LaTiO2N crystals remained single-crystalline with a porous nanostructure. The optical absorption edges of the La2Ti2O7 and LaTiO2N crystals were approximately 320 and 600 nm.