A new high-pressure phase of LiAlO2

A new high-pressure phase of LiAlO2 has been recovered through a shock recovery technique at pressures above 9 GPa. This new phase has been refined as a tetragonal structure with lattice parameters of a = 0.38866(8) nm and c = 0.83001(18) nm. Its calculated density is 3.51 g/cm(3). about 34% denser than gamma-LiAlO2. The aluminum and lithium cations in this new phase are six-fold coordinated, as in alpha-LiAlO2, and the structure of this new phase is similar to tetragonal LiFeO2. This new high-pressure phase is stable at temperatures up to 773 K. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved