The 5:7 Member of the Spin-Ladder Series in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O System

The crystal structure of the (Bi(0.02)Sr(0.39)Ca(0.59))(10)Cu(17)O(29) spin ladder compound was determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The precursor powder was prepared from stoichiometric amounts of SrCO(3), CaCO(3), CuO, and Bi(2)O(3) by calcination at 820 degrees C for 20 h and pressed to form a rod used for the crystal growth. The travelling-solvent-floating-zone method was applied in an image furnace to grow large single crystals. The composite commensurate structure was solved and refined in space group F222, Pearson symbol oF224, a = 11.340(2), b = 12.829(2), c = 19.441(3) angstrom, Z = 4. The composite incommensurate structure of the (Bi(0.02)Sr(0.39)Ca(0.59) (10)Cu(17)O(29) compound was solved and refined in the (3 + 1)-space group F222(00 gamma), a = 11.340(2), b = 12.829(2), c(1) = 2.7773(4), c(2) = 3.8882(6) angstrom, q = 0.7143.