Silver niobium trioxide, AgNbO3
The present structure determination of silver niobium trioxide at 291 K was performed on a twinned single crystal with a predominant presence [about 93 (1)%] of one twin domain. The sample contained traces of V (about 1 atomic %). This study confirms that the room-temperature phase of AgNbO(3) is isostructural with the room-temperature phase of NaNbO(3), i.e. it is a tilted perovskite. Structural deviation in AgNbO(3) from centrosymmetry was not detected in this study and its structure was refined in Pbcm, though a previous study indicated ferroelectricity below 350 K, in contrast with NaNbO(3).
Fabry
J
Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnicka 10, 162 53 Praha 6, Czech Republic. fabry@fzu.cz.
Zikmund
Z
Kania
A
Petricek
V