Crystal growth, pyroelectric, piezoelectric, and elastic properties of monoclinic bis (nitrilotriacetato) zirconates X[C(NH2)3] Zr(N(CH2COO)3)2 ⋅ yH2O (y=2 for X=Rb, Tl, NH4; y=1 for X=Cs; y=1.5 for X=CH3NH3)

Abstract

Abstract Large single crystals of optical quality and with dimensions up to 50 mm of double salts of the type X[C(NH2)3] Zr(N(CH2COO)3)2 ⋅ y H2O (X = Rb, Tl, NH4, Cs, CH3NH3) have been grown from aqueous solutions. They crystallize in the space group P21 and exhibit quasi-isotypic structures. Complete elastic and thermoelastic tensors have been derived from ultrasonic resonances of plane-parallel plates. In addition, thermal expansion, pyroelectric, dielectric and piezoelectric properties have been measured. The maximum longitudinal piezoelectric effects d 222 exceed d 111 of α-quartz roughly by a factor of 7. The pyroelectric constants π 2 surmount π 3 of tourmaline by about a factor of 9. The structural and physical properties are closely related to those of the constituent salts.