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Rapid synthesis of dual-element isotope-enriched α−MoO3 crystals by reactive vapor transport

Ryan W. Spangler1, Jacob M. Shusterman2, Thiago S. Arnaud3, Anton V. Ievlev2, Joshua D. Caldwell3,4, Patrick E. Hopkins5,6,7, and Jon-Paul Maria1,*

  • *Contact author: jpm133@psu.edu
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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, L050401 – Published 20 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/p39r-gstw

Abstract

In this work, we develop a rapid reactive vapor transport technique to efficiently utilize limited isotopically pure precursors, particularly gaseous O218, and synthesize mm-scale, high-quality isotope-enriched crystals within few-minute growth durations. We unlock this capability by using metallic molybdenum precursors with high source temperatures (900∘C) and total pressures (∼1 atm) to maximize precursor efficiency and yield. Subsequently, we grow α−MoO3 single crystals with high and uniform enrichment levels of Mo98 and O18 isotopes in several different permutations. As probed by Raman spectroscopy, modest and significant phonon energy redshifts occur following Mo98 and O18 enrichment, respectively. By demonstrating control over both molybdenum and oxygen isotopic enrichments, we establish a powerful tool to advance nanophotonics and thermal management goals using α−MoO3. This work is motivated by the possibility to enhance and engineer lattice vibrational mode phenomena including thermal conduction and hyperbolic phonon polariton dispersion—with particular interest in comparing the effects of light and heavy element enrichment.

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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, L050401– Published 20 May, 2026
  • Received 16 December 2025
  • Accepted 23 April 2026
Article part of CHORUS
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