Synthesis and characterization of Zn-doped enstatite

Single crystals of Zn-doped enstatite (Mg1−xZnx)SiO3 have been synthesized by slow-cooling flux method using two different fluxes. The starting mixtures were first held at a temperature between 1350 and 950 °C and then slowly cooled to the final temperature (600–750 °C) at four different rates. The grown crystals were characterized by binocular microscope, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry. When LiCO3, MoO3 and V2O5 were used as flux, Zn-doped enstatite crystals up to 3.5 mm in length grew successfully. They were transparent in color and showed the typical prismatic form. Chemical analyses on several Zn-doped enstatite crystals showed that the amount of Zn2+ indicated as ZnO wt% ranges from 3.37 to 10.49 wt%. Further characterization by cathodoluminescence and by µ-Raman spectroscopy allowed us to study the effect of zinc dopant on the chemical/physical characteristics of the doped enstatite.