Tailored Synthesis of Two Metal Borates KSrM 3 B 2 O 9 (M = Al and Ga) Exhibiting Wide Ultraviolet Transparency.

Borate materials continue to command considerable attention due to their remarkable capacity for applications in deep ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. Herein, two new metal borates KSrM 3 B 2 O 9 (M = Al and Ga) were extracted via the application of flux techniques. These two crystals adopt a centrosymmetric space group P 2 1 / c (no. 14), showcasing a layered structural configuration composed of isolated [BO 3 ] plane triangles and [AlO 4 ]/[GaO 4 ] tetrahedra. Thermal analysis revealed that KSrM 3 B 2 O 9 (M = Al and Ga) exhibits an incongruent nature and possesses good thermal stability up to 1083 and 983 °C, respectively. Notably, these compounds display a short UV-transmission cutoff edge, approximately around 194 and 200 nm, accompanied by band gaps of 5.47 and 4.83 eV, respectively. Furthermore, KSrM 3 B 2 O 9 (M = Al and Ga) demonstrates a moderate optical birefringence of 0.026 and 0.025, respectively. Additionally, first-principles calculations were employed to shed light on the intricate interplay between the structure and properties of these compounds.