title: Synthesis and characterisation of new MO(OH)2 (M = Zr, Hf) oxyhydroxides and related Li2MO3 salts.
abstract: Two new solid MO(OH)2 (M = Zr, Hf) oxyhydroxides have been synthesised by an ion-exchange reaction from Li2MO3 (M = Zr, Hf) precursors obtained by a citrate combustion technique. The crystal structure of the oxyhydroxides has been solved by direct methods and refined using Rietveld full profile fitting based on X-ray powder diffraction data. Both oxyhydroxides crystallize in a P2(1)/c monoclinic unit cell and have a structure resembling that of the related salts. Detailed characterisation of the fine-structure features and chemical bonding in precursors and oxyhydroxide powders has been performed using vibrational spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, pair distribution function analysis and quantum-chemical modelling.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Chemistry, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 91 Pervomayskaya str, 620990, Ekaterinburg, Russia. baklanovay@ihim.uran.ru.
authors.forename: Yana V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Baklanova
authors.forename: Tatyana A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Denisova
authors.forename: Lidiya G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Maksimova
authors.forename: Alexander P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Tyutyunnik
authors.forename: Inna V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Baklanova
authors.forename: Igor R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Shein
authors.forename: Reinhard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Neder
authors.forename: Nadezda V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Tarakina