Twinning and epitaxial growth of taaffeite-type modulated structures in BeO-doped MgAl2O4†
Abstract
A recent study of (111) twins in MgAl2O4 spinel crystals from Mogok (Burma) implied that twinning could be triggered by the presence of Be during crystal growth. Here we demonstrate that twinning in spinel is in fact chemically induced and is not a consequence of an accidental attachment of crystals. The growth conditions were reproduced in a tube furnace at 1200 °C by liquid-phase assisted reaction of Al2O3 and MgO with the addition of BeO, while PbF2 was used as melt-forming agent. BeO does not only cause abundant {111} twinning of spinel, but also complex topotaxial overgrowths of BeMg3Al8O16 taaffeite when the concentration of BeO exceeds 12.5 mol%. A