UV nonlinear optical crystal Ba2[B6O9(OH)4] featuring unique chiral layers with a new B18O42 circle based on BO3 and BO4 units

Inorg Chem. 2012 Feb 6;51(3):1852-8. doi: 10.1021/ic2021337. Epub 2012 Jan 19.

Abstract

A new noncentrosymmetric polyborate, Ba(2)[B(6)O(9)(OH)(4)], has been synthesized under a hydrothermal condition. The polyborate contains chiral layers constructed by two kinds of helical chains and also form new B(18)O(42) circles based on B(3)O(8) units [(3: Δ+2T)]. One kind of Ba atom locates in the cavity surrounded by the B(11)O(11) ring within the anion layer, and the other kind of Ba atom inserts between two adjacent layers. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy demonstrates that the compound has a cutoff edge below 190 nm and has a large second-harmonic generation (SHG) effect, which is approximately 3 times that of KH(2)PO(4) (KDP) and is type-I phase matchable.