Synthesis of compounds with a crystal structure of sillenite within the pseudobinary stable system Bi12GeO20–Bi12SiO20*

The possibility of partial replacement of Ge by Si within the structure of Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ during synthesis from a melt by a casting method is demonstrated. The effect of substitution on the structure of synthesized polycrystalline material is studied. Using X‑ray phase analysis and optical microscopy, it is confirmed that stable bismuth silicate and germanate with a sillenite structure form a continuous series of solid solutions. The possibility of partial replacement of Ge by Si within the structure of Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ during its synthesis from a melt by accelerated cooling (casting method) is demonstrated.