American Elements: Germanium Oxide Supplier & Tech Info

Germanium Oxide is a highly insoluble thermally stable Germanium source suitable for glass, optic Ultra High Purity (99.99+%) Oxide Powder

and ceramic applications. Oxide compounds are not conductive to electricity. However, certain perovskite structured oxides are electronically conductive finding application in the cathode of solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen generation systems. They are compounds containing at least one oxygen anion and one metallic cation. They are typically insoluble in aqueous solutions (water) and extremely stable making them useful in ceramic structures as simple as producing clay bowls to advanced electronics and in light weight structural components in aerospace and electrochemical applications such as fuel cells in which they exhibit ionic conductivity. Metal oxide compounds are basic anhydrides and can therefore react with acids and with strong reducing agents in redox reactions. Germanium Oxide is also available in pellets, pieces, powder, sputtering targets, tablets, and nanopowder (from American Elements' nanoscale production facilities). See Nanotechnology for more nanotechnology applications information. Germanium Oxide is generally immediately available in most volumes. Ultra high purity and high purity compositions improve both optical quality and usefulness as scientific standards. Nanoscale (See also Nanotechnology Information and Quantum Dots) elemental powders and suspensions, as alternative high surface area forms, may be considered. Additional technical, research and safety (MSDS) information is available.

Germanium is a Block P, Group 14, Period 4 element. The electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p². In its elemental form germanium's CAS number is 7440-56-4. The germanium atom has a radius of 122.5.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm. Germanium is a very important semiconductor. Zone-refining techniques have led to production of crystalline germanium for semiconductor use with extremely high purities. When germanium is doped with arsenic, gallium, or other elements, it is used as a transistor element in thousands of electronic applications. The most common use of germanium is as a semiconductor. Germanium is also finding many other applications including use as an alloying agent, as a phosphor in fluorescent lamps, and as a catalyst. Germanium and germanium oxide are transparent to the infrared and are used in infrared spectroscopes and other optical equipment, including extremely sensitive infrared detectors. The high refractive index and dispersion properties of its oxide's have made germanium useful as a component of wide-angle camera lenses and microscope objectives. The field of organo-germanium chemistry is becoming increasingly important.