TY - JOUR A1 - Machado Ferreira de Araujo, F. A1 - Duarte-Ruiz, D. A1 - Saßnick, H.-D. A1 - Gentzmann, Marie C. A1 - Huthwelker, T. A1 - Cocchi, C. T1 - Electronic Structure and Core Spectroscopy of Scandium Fluoride Polymorphs N2 - Microscopic knowledge of the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of scandium fluoride is still incomplete despite the relevance of this material as an intermediate for the manufacturing of Al−Sc alloys. In a work based on first-principles calculations and X-ray spectroscopy, we assess the stability and electronic structure of six computationally predicted ScF3 polymorphs, two of which correspond to experimentally resolved single-crystal phases. In the theoretical analysis based on density functional theory (DFT), we identify similarities among the polymorphs based on their formation energies, chargedensity distribution, and electronic properties (band gaps and density of states). We find striking analogies between the results obtained for the ow- and high-temperature phases of the material, indirectly confirming that the transition occurring between them mainly consists of a rigid rotation of the lattice. With this knowledge, we examine the X-ray absorption spectra from the Sc and F K-edge contrasting firstprinciples results obtained from the solution of the Bethe−Salpeter equation on top of all-electron DFT with high-energy-resolution fluorescence detection measurements. Analysis of the computational results sheds light on the electronic origin of the absorption maxima and provides information on the prominent excitonic effects that characterize all spectra. A comparison with measurements confirms that the sample is mainly composed of the high- and low-temperature polymorphs of ScF3. However, some fine details in the experimental results suggest that the probed powder sample may contain defects and/or residual traces of metastable polymorphs. KW - Scandium KW - X-ray spectroscopy PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-570727 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c04357 SN - 0020-1669 VL - 62 IS - 10 SP - 4238 EP - 4247 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington DC AN - OPUS4-57072 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Duarte-Ruiz, D. A1 - Saßnick, H.-D. A1 - Ferreira De Araujo, F. A1 - Gentzmann, Marie A1 - Huthwelker, T. A1 - Cocchi, C T1 - X-ray absorption spectroscopy of scandium oxide polymorphs N2 - Scandium oxide (Sc2O3) is a rare-earth oxide with significant potential in key technological areas, but due to its limited supply a deep understanding of its characteristics in different crystalline phases is still missing. Here, we present a combined experimental and ab initio X-ray absorption spectroscopy investigation of Sc2O3 focusing on excitations from the O K-edge and the Sc L2,3-edge. While measurements are performed on a cubic sample, the most stable phase under ambient conditions, six different polymorphs are computed, including two high-pressure phases with a trigonal and monoclinic lattice in addition to the cubic phase, as well as three computationally predicted structures. Our analysis of the structural and electronic properties reveals significant similarities between the cubic polymorph and the high-pressure trigonal phase, while the monoclinic crystal exhibits distinct features. The spectra simulated for these similar phases from the solution of the Bethe–Salpeter equation show very good agreement with measurements. Additional comparison with results computed in the independent-particle approximation highlights the dominant role of electron–hole correlations in shaping the absorption features, particularly at the O K-edge, where a common pattern with the features of other sesquioxides is identified. Our findings offer new insight into the spectral fingerprints of Sc2O3 polymorphs, aiding in situ characterization and informing sustainable materials management. KW - Scandium PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-650806 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra06446e VL - 15 IS - 56 SP - 47814 EP - 47825 AN - OPUS4-65080 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -