Nanostructured Crystals of Fluorite Phases Sr1 – xRxF2 + x (R Are Rare-Earth Elements) and Their Ordering. 15. Concentration Dependence of the Defect Structure of As Grown Nonstoichiometric Phases Sr1 – xRxF2 + x (R = Sm, Gd)

The defect structure of as grown single crystals Sr1 – xSmxF2 + x (x = 0.14, 0.26) and Sr1 – xGdxF2 + x (x = 0.12, 0.19, 0.30) grown under identical conditions was studied by X-ray diffraction. All crystals belong to the CaF2 structure type, sp. gr. $$Fm\bar {3}m$$. All phases contain interstitial fluoride ions in the 48i site and vacancies in the main anionic motif. In Sr0.70Gd0.30F2.30 interstitial fluoride anions were found also in the 4b site; in Sr0.88Gd0.12F2.12, in the 32f site. Relaxation displacements of a part of F(8c) anions to the 32f site are observed in Sr0.86Sm0.14F2.14. Displacements of cations to the 24e site occur in all the phases under study; in the phases with R = Gd, there are also displacements to the 32f site. A model of the defect structure of the phases Sr1 ‒ xRxF2 + x (R = Sm, Gd) is proposed. According to this model, interstitial fluoride anions and R3+ cations are grouped into octacubic clusters [Sr14 – nRnF64 + n]. The average number of R3+ per cluster decreases from 6 to 4.5 with increasing х, the volume of the cluster core increases from 61.2(1) to 65.9(2) Å3, and the volume per cluster decreases from 2419.9(5) to 783.5(2) Å3.