Floating zone crystal growth and structural distortion of Pb2V3O9

Single crystals of the spin dimer compound Pb2V3O9 were grown for the first time by the floating zone method. Room temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements confirm their crystallinity and structure. The crystal growth process is discussed in detail and high temperature differential scanning calorimetry measurements that show a structural phase transition from a monoclinic to a triclinic unit cell at 759(1)K are presented.