Synthesis, Electrical Properties, and Powder Neutron Crystal Structure Refinement of Pb1-xBixPt2O4 Compounds (0 < or =x

Substitution of Pb for Bi in the recently characterized mixed-valence lead–platinum oxide PbPt2O4 was attempted and a Pb1xBixPt2O4 solid solution was obtained for 0< or =x< or =0.3. Powder X-ray diffraction study showed that all substituted compounds crystallize with similar triclinic unit cell and PbPt2O4 lattice parameters. The structural model of Pb0.7Bi0.3Pt2O4 was refined from powder X-ray diffraction data using the Rietveld method and the results indicate the same crystal structure than PbPt2O4 with one mixed Pb/Bi atomic site. Neutron diffraction realized on the two limit compositions of the solid solution (x=0 and 0.3) allowed to confirm the PbPt2O4 and Pb0.7Bi0.3Pt2O4 stoichiometries. Mean oxidation degree of Pt atoms in the [PtO4] infinite chains decreases from +3 for PbPt2O4 to +2.7 for Pb0.7Bi0.3Pt2O4. Conductivity measurements show a metallic behavior for all the compositions except the limit composition x=0.3 for which a semiconducting behavior appears.