BiScO3: centrosymmetric BiMnO3-type oxide

J Am Chem Soc. 2006 Jan 25;128(3):706-7. doi: 10.1021/ja057574u.

Abstract

With neutron powder diffraction, electron diffraction, and second-harmonic generation, we have shown that BiScO3 has a structure closely related to that of multiferroic BiMnO3, but BiScO3 crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group of C2/c. These results bring up a question about the origin of ferroelectricity in BiMnO3. BiScO3 may serve as a model system to understand the role of Mn3+ ions in the ferroelectricity of BiMnO3.