Abstract: Two new ternary arsenides, namely, Eu7Cu44As23 and Sr7Cu44As23, were synthesized from elements at 800 degrees C. Their crystal structure represents a new filled version of the BaHg11 motif with cubic voids alternately occupied by Eu(Sr) and As atoms, resulting in a 2 x 2 x 2 superstructure of the aristotype: space group Fm (3) over barm, a = 16.6707(2) angstrom and 16.7467(2) angstrom, respectively. The Eu derivative exhibits ferromagnetic ordering below 17.5 K. In agreement with band structure calculations both compounds are metals, exhibiting relatively low thermopower, but high electrical and low thermal conductivity.

Abstract: The crystal structure of a novel compound Pb13Mn9O25 has been determined through a direct space structure solution with a Monte-Carlo-based global optimization using precession electron diffraction data (a=14.177(3) Å, c=3.9320(7) Å, SG P4/m, RF=0.239) and compositional information obtained from energy dispersive X-ray analysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy. This allowed to obtain a reliable structural model even despite the simultaneous presence of both heavy (Pb) and light (O) scattering elements and to validate the accuracy of the electron diffraction-based structure refinement. This provides an important benchmark for further studies of complex structural problems with electron diffraction techniques. Pb13Mn9O25 has an anion- and cation-deficient perovskite-based structure with the A-positions filled by the Pb atoms and 9/13 of the B positions filled by the Mn atoms in an ordered manner. MnO6 octahedra and MnO5 tetragonal pyramids form a network by sharing common corners. Tunnels are formed in the network due to an ordered arrangement of vacancies at the B-sublattice. These tunnels provide sufficient space for localization of the lone 6s2 electron pairs of the Pb2+ cations, suggested as the driving force for the structural difference between Pb13Mn9O25 and the manganites of alkali-earth elements with similar compositions.

Abstract: The n = 3-6 members of a new perovskite-based homologous series Bi(3n+1)Ti7Fe(3n-3)O(9n+11) are reported. The crystal structure of the n = 3 Bi10Ti7Fe6O38 member is refined using a combination of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data (a = 11.8511(2) A, b = 3.85076(4) A, c = 33.0722(6) A, S.G. Immm), unveiling the partially ordered distribution of Ti(4+) and Fe(3+) cations and indicating the presence of static random displacements of the Bi and O atoms. All Bi(3n+1)Ti7Fe(3n-3)O(9n+11) structures are composed of perovskite blocks separated by translational interfaces parallel to the (001)p perovskite planes. The thickness of the perovskite blocks increases with n, while the atomic arrangement at the interfaces remains the same. The interfaces comprise chains of double edge-sharing (Fe,Ti)O6 octahedra connected to the octahedra of the perovskite blocks by sharing edges and corners. This configuration shifts the adjacent perovskite blocks relative to each other over a vector (1/2)[110]p and creates S-shaped tunnels along the [010] direction. The tunnels accommodate double columns of the Bi(3+) cations, which stabilize the interfaces owing to the stereochemical activity of their lone electron pairs. The Bi(3n+1)Ti7Fe(3n-3)O(9n+11) structures can be formally considered either as intergrowths of perovskite modules and polysynthetically twinned modules of the Bi2Ti4O11 structure or as intergrowths of the 2D perovskite and 1D anatase fragments. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on Bi10Ti7Fe6O38 reveals that static atomic displacements of Bi and O inside the perovskite blocks are not completely random; they are cooperative, yet only short-range ordered. According to TEM, the interfaces can be laterally shifted with respect to each other over +/-1/3a, introducing an additional degree of disorder. Bi10Ti7Fe6O38 is paramagnetic in the 1.5-1000 K temperature range due to dilution of the magnetic Fe(3+) cations with nonmagnetic Ti(4+). The n = 3, 4 compounds demonstrate a high dielectric constant of 70-165 at room temperature.

Abstract: Layered Li(M,Li)O2 (where M is a transition metal) ordered rock-salt-type structures are used in advanced metal-ion batteries as one of the best hosts for the reversible intercalation of Li ions. Besides the conventional redox reaction involving oxidation/reduction of the M cation upon Li extraction/insertion, creating oxygen-located holes because of the partial oxygen oxidation increases capacity while maintaining the oxidized oxygen species in the lattice through high covalency of the M–O bonding. Typical degradation mechanism of the Li(M,Li)O2 electrodes involves partially irreversible M cation migration toward the Li positions, resulting in gradual capacity/voltage fade. Here, using LiRhO2 as a model system (isostructural and isoelectronic to LiCoO2), for the first time, we demonstrate an intimate coupling between the oxygen redox and M cation migration. A formation of the oxidized oxygen species upon electrochemical Li extraction coincides with transformation of the layered Li1–xRhO2 structure into the γ-MnO2-type rutile–ramsdellite intergrowth LiyRh3O6 structure with rutile-like [1 × 1] channels along with bigger ramsdellite-like [2 × 1] tunnels through massive and concerted Rh migration toward the empty positions in the Li layers. The oxidized oxygen dimers with the O–O distances as short as 2.26 Å are stabilized in this structure via the local Rh–O configuration reminiscent to that in the μ-peroxo-μ-hydroxo Rh complexes. The LiyRh3O6 structure is remarkably stable upon electrochemical cycling illustrating that proper structural implementation of the oxidized oxygen species can open a pathway toward deliberate employment of the anion redox chemistry in high-capacity/high-voltage positive electrodes for metal-ion batteries. Upon chemical or electrochemical oxidation, layered LiRhO2 shows a unique structural transformation that involves both cation migration and oxidation of oxygen resulting in a stable tunnel-like rutile−ramsdellite intergrowth LiyRh3O6 structure. This structure demonstrates excellent performance with the steady and reversible capacity of ∼200 mAh/g. The stability of LiyRh3O6 is rooted in the accommodation of partially oxidized oxygen species through the formation of short O−O distances that are compatible with the connectivity of RhO6 octahedra.

Abstract: We show that interlayer spins play a dual role in the Cairo pentagonal magnet Bi4Fe5O13F, on one hand mediating the three-dimensional magnetic order, and on the other driving spin-reorientation transitions both within and between the planes. The corresponding sequence of magnetic orders unraveled by neutron diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy features two orthogonal magnetic structures described by opposite local vector chiralities, and an intermediate, partly disordered phase with nearly collinear spins. A similar collinear phase has been predicted theoretically to be stabilized by quantum fluctuations, but Bi4Fe5O13F is very far from the relevant parameter regime. While the observed in-plane reorientation cannot be explained by any standard frustration mechanism, our ab initio band-structure calculations reveal strong single-ion anisotropy of the interlayer Fe3+ spins that turns out to be instrumental in controlling the local vector chirality and the associated interlayer order.

Abstract: Crystal structure and magnetic properties of the layered vanadium phosphate PbZnVO(PO4)2 are studied using x-ray powder diffraction, magnetization and specific-heat measurements, as well as band-structure calculations. The compound resembles AA′VO(PO4)2 vanadium phosphates and fits to the extended frustrated square-lattice model with the couplings J1, J1′ between nearest neighbors and J2, J2′ between next-nearest neighbors. The temperature dependence of the magnetization yields estimates of averaged nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor couplings, J̅ 1≃−5.2 K and J̅ 2≃10.0 K, respectively. The effective frustration ratio α=J̅ 2/J̅ 1 amounts to −1.9 and suggests columnar antiferromagnetic ordering in PbZnVO(PO4)2. Specific-heat data support the estimates of J̅ 1 and J̅ 2 and indicate a likely magnetic ordering transition at 3.9 K. However, the averaged couplings underestimate the saturation field, thus pointing to the spatial anisotropy of the nearest-neighbor interactions. Band-structure calculations confirm the identification of ferromagnetic J1, J1′ and antiferromagnetic J2, J2′ in PbZnVO(PO4)2 and yield (J1′−J1)≃1.1 K in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 1.1 K, deduced from the difference between the expected and experimentally measured saturation fields. Based on the comparison of layered vanadium phosphates with different metal cations, we show that a moderate spatial anisotropy of the frustrated square lattice has minor influence on the thermodynamic properties of the model. We discuss relevant geometrical parameters, controlling the exchange interactions in these compounds and propose a strategy for further design of strongly frustrated square-lattice materials.

Abstract: New layered structures corresponding to the general formula [PbBiO2]A(n+1)B(n)O(3n-1)Cl(2) Were prepared. Pb5BiFe3O10Cl2 (n = 3) and Pb5Bi2Fe4O13Cl2 (n = 4) are built as a stacking of truncated A(n+1)B(n)O(3n-1) perovskite blocks and alpha-PbO-type [A(2)O(2)](2+) (A = Pb, Bi) blocks combined with chlorine sheets. The alternation of these structural blocks can be represented as an intergrowth between the hematophanite and Sullen-type structural blocks. The crystal and-Magnetic structures of Pb5BiFe3O10Cl2 and Pb5Bi2Fe4O13Cl2 were investigated in the temperature range of 1.5-700 K using X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy. Both compounds crystallize in the I4/mmm space group with the unit cell parameters a approximate to a(p) approximate to 3.92 angstrom (a unit-cell parameter of the perovskite-structure), c approximate to 43.0 angstrom for the n = 3 member and c approximate to 53.5 angstrom for the n = 4 member. Despite the large separation between the slabs containing the Fe3+ ions (nearly 14 angstrom), long-range antiferromagnetic order sets in below similar to 600 K with the G-type arrangement of the Fe magnetic moments aligned along the c-axis. The possibility of mixing d(0) and d(n) cations at the B sublattice of these structures was also demonstrated by preparing the Ti-substituted n = 4 member Pb6BiFe3TiO13Cl2.

Abstract: We report crystal structure, electronic structure, and magnetism of manganese tetraboride, MnB4, synthesized under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions. In contrast to superconducting FeB4 and metallic CrB4, which are both orthorhombic, MnB4 features a monoclinic crystal structure. Its lower symmetry originates from a Peierls distortion of the Mn chains. This distortion nearly opens the gap at the Fermi level, but despite the strong dimerization and the proximity of MnB4 to the insulating state, we find indications for a sizable paramagnetic effective moment of about 1.7 mu(B)/f.u., ferromagnetic spin correlations, and, even more surprisingly, a prominent electronic contribution to the specific heat. However, no magnetic order has been observed in standard thermodynamic measurements down to 2 K. Altogether, this renders MnB4 a structurally simple but microscopically enigmatic material; we argue that its properties may be influenced by electronic correlations.

Abstract: We present a comprehensive study of the crystal structure, magnetic structure, and microscopic magnetic model of (CuBr)LaNb2O7, the Br analog of the spin-gap quantum magnet (CuCl) LaNb2O7. Despite similar crystal structures and spin lattices, the magnetic behavior and even peculiarities of the atomic arrangement in the Cl and Br compounds are very different. The high- resolution x-ray and neutron data reveal a split position of Br atoms in (CuBr) LaNb2O7. This splitting originates from two possible configurations developed by [CuBr] zigzag ribbons. While the Br atoms are locally ordered in the ab plane, their arrangement along the c direction remains partially disordered. The predominant and energetically more favorable configuration features an additional doubling of the c lattice parameter that was not observed in (CuCl) LaNb2O7. (CuBr) LaNb2O7 undergoes long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at T-N = 32 K, which is nearly 70% of the leading exchange coupling J4 similar or equal to 48 K. The Br compound does not show any experimental signatures of low-dimensional magnetism because the underlying spin lattice is three-dimensional. The coupling along the c direction is comparable to the couplings in the ab plane, even though the shortest Cu-Cu distance along c (11.69 angstrom) is three times larger than nearest-neighbor distances in the ab plane (3.55 angstrom). The stripe antiferromagnetic long-range order featuring columns of parallel spins in the ab plane and antiparallel spins along c is verified experimentally and confirmed by the microscopic analysis.

Abstract: New strontium titanyl phosphate Sr2TiO(PO4)2 (1) was synthesized and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, electron diffraction, high-resolution electron microscopy, and band structure calculations. Titanyl phosphate 1 is isostructural with vanadyl phosphate Sr2VO(PO4)2 and has a layered structure. The titanium atoms are shifted from the centers of the TiO6 octahedra and form short (1.74 Å) titanyl bonds. The structure of 1 is an unusual example of the disordered orientation of the chains formed by TiO6 octahedra in complex titanium phosphates.