Structure and Phase Transitions of SnP2O7

SnP2O7 is a member of the ZrP2O7 family of materials, several of which show unusual thermal expansion behavior over certain temperature ranges and which show a number of displacive phase transitions on cooling from high temperature. Here we describe the structural properties of SnP2O7 from 100 to 1243 K as determined by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. These studies reveal that SnP2O7 shows two phase transitions in this temperature range. At room temperature the material has a pseudo-cubic 3×3×3× superstructure. Electron diffraction studies show that the symmetry of this structure is P213 or lower. On warming to ~560 K it undergoes a phase transition to a structure in which the subcell reflections show a triclinic distortion; above 830 K the subcell reflections show a rhombohedral distortion. Significant hysteresis in cell parameters is observed between heating and cooling. The structure of SnP2O7 is discussed with references to other members of the AM2O7 family of materials.