Materials with trigonal bipyramidal coordination and methods of making the same

A composition, comprising:

• a material having a formula AM1−xM′xM″yO3+y where A is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof;
• M is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof, or M is a 1:1 mixture of MA and MB cations where MA is Zn, Mg, or Cu, and MB is Ti or Sn;
• M′ is Mn, Fe, Al, Ga, In, or a combination thereof, M′ is a +3 cation, and at least some M′3+ cations are bound to oxygen in trigonal bipyramidal coordination as M′O5;
• M″ is Mg, Zn, Cu, or a combination thereof;
• x is greater than 0.0 but less than 1.0;
• y is 0 or an integer from 1-6;
• at least one of M and M′ comprises Al, Ga, or In;
• and M is not Al when y=0, M′ is Mn and A is Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu;
• and
• at least one additional component.

A method for making a material having a formula AM1−xM′xM″yO3+y where A is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof;

• M is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof, or M is a 1:1 mixture of MA and MB cations where MA is Zn, Mg, or Cu, and MB is Ti or Sn;
• M′ is Mn, Fe, Al, Ga, In, or a combination thereof, M′ is a +3 cation, and at least some M′3+ cations are bound to oxygen in trigonal bipyramidal coordination as M′O5;
• M″ is Mg, Zn, Cu, or a combination thereof;
• x is greater than 0.0 but less than 1.0;
• y is 0 or an integer from 1-6;
• at least one of M and M′ comprises Al, Ga, or In;
• and M is not Al when y=0, M′ is Mn and A is Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu, the method comprising:
• providing powders comprising metals desired in the material;
• combining the powders in stoichiometric quantities to achieve a desired final ratio of the metals in the material;
• heating the powders at a temperature of about 700° C. to about 1500° C. for about 2 hours to about 20 hours to produce the material.

A method for varying color in a material having a formula AM1−xM′xM″yO3+y where A is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof;

• M is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof, or M is a 1:1 mixture of MA and MB cations where MA is Zn, Mg, or Cu, and MB is Ti or Sn;
• M′ is Mn, Fe, Al, Ga, In, or a combination thereof, M′ is a +3 cation, and at least some M′3+ cations are bound to oxygen in trigonal bipyramidal coordination as M′O5;
• M″ is Mg, Zn, Cu, or a combination thereof;
• x is greater than 0.0 but less than 1.0;
• y is 0 or an integer from 1-6;
• at least one of M and M′ comprises Al, Ga, or In;
• and M is not Al when y=0, M′ is Mn and A is Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu;
• and where the material has a color that varies along a color continuum as x increases, the method comprising:
• providing powders comprising metals desired in the material;
• selecting a value of x to provide a desired color along the color continuum;
• combining the powders in stoichiometric quantities according to the value of x;
• and
• heating the powders at a temperature of about 700° C. to about 1500° C. for about 2 hours to about 20 hours to produce the material with the desired color.

A method for making a composition, comprising:

• providing a material having a formula AM1−xM′xM″yO3+y where A is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof;
• M is Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Zn, In, Ga, Ti, Sn, Fe, Mg, or a combination thereof, or M is a 1:1 mixture of MA and MB cations where MA is Zn, Mg, or Cu, and MB is Ti or Sn;
• M′ is Mn, Fe, Al, Ga, In, or a combination thereof, M′ is a +3 cation, and at least some M′3+ cations are bound to oxygen in trigonal bipyramidal coordination as M′O5;
• M″ is Mg, Zn, Cu, or a combination thereof;
• x is greater than 0.0 but less than 1.0;
• y is 0 or an integer from 1-6;
• at least one of M and M′ comprises Al, Ga, or In;
• and M is not Al when y=0, M′ is Mn and A is Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu;
• combining the material with at least one additional component to produce the composition.