CsY(SO4)2·4H2O: A Deep-Ultraviolet Birefringent Crystal Induced by an Edge-Sharing Connection

SO4 tetrahedral groups have weak polarization anisotropy, which thus results in the small birefringence of sulfates. Here, we report new sulfate CsY­(SO4)2·4H2O with unprecedented birefringence among deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) sulfates. Its single crystal (10 mm × 3.5 mm × 1.5 mm) was simply grown by an aqueous solution evaporation technique, and it features a rare layered structure composed of YO9 polyhedra, SO4 tetrahedra, and H2O molecules. Interestingly, each SO4 group donates two oxygen atoms to edge-share with one adjacent YO9 polyhedron and thus causes severe distortion of these groups. The characteristic edge-sharing mode gives CsY­(SO4)2·4H2O a large birefringence of ∼0.045@546 nm, which is the maximum among deep-UV sulfates and phosphates with similar non-π-conjugated anionic groups. The ultraviolet–visible-near-infrared diffuse reflection and transmission spectra, infrared spectrum, thermal stability, and theoretical calculations are also presented. The fascinating results will improve our understanding of sulfates and may provide useful insights into the exploration of deep-UV sulfates with large birefringence.