51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú

Abstract:

We report the results of a muon-spin relaxation ( μ SR ) investigation of La 2 − x Sr x CoO 4 , an antiferromagnetic insulating series which has been shown to support charge ordered and magnetic stripe phases and an hourglass magnetic excitation spectrum. We present a revised magnetic phase diagram, which shows that the suppression of the magnetic ordering temperature is highly sensitive to small concentrations of holes. Distinct behavior within an intermediate x range ( 0.2 ≤ x ≲ 0.6 ) suggests that the putative stripe ordered phase extends to lower x than previously thought. Further charge doping ( 0.67 ≤ x ≤ 0.9 ) prevents magnetic ordering for T ≳ 1.5 K .

Abstract:

The crystal structures of NiX2(pyz)2 (X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3), and NCS (4)) were determined by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. All four compounds consist of two-dimensional (2D) square arrays self-assembled from octahedral NiN4X2 units that are bridged by pyz ligands. The 2D layered motifs displayed by 1-4 are relevant to bifluoride-bridged [Ni(HF2)(pyz)2]EF6 (E = P, Sb), which also possess the same 2D layers. In contrast, terminal X ligands occupy axial positions in 1-4 and cause a staggered packing of adjacent layers. Long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) order occurs below 1.5 (Cl), 1.9 (Br and NCS), and 2.5 K (I) as determined by heat capacity and muon-spin relaxation. The single-ion anisotropy and g factor of 2, 3, and 4 were measured by electron-spin resonance with no evidence for zero-field splitting (ZFS) being observed. The magnetism of 1-4 spans the spectrum from quasi-two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnetism. Nearly identical results and thermodynamic features were obtained for 2 and 4 as shown by pulsed-field magnetization, magnetic susceptibility, as well as their Néel temperatures. Magnetization curves for 2 and 4 calculated by quantum Monte Carlo simulation also show excellent agreement with the pulsed-field data. Compound 3 is characterized as a 3D AFM with the interlayer interaction (J⊥) being slightly stronger than the intralayer interaction along Ni-pyz-Ni segments (J(pyz)) within the two-dimensional [Ni(pyz)2](2+) square planes. Regardless of X, J(pyz) is similar for the four compounds and is roughly 1 K.

Abstract:

The low-temperature fluorination of the n = 2 Ruddlesden–Popper phase La2SrCr2O7 yields La2SrCr2O7F2 via a topochemical fluorine insertion reaction. The structure-conserving nature of the fluorination reaction means that the chromium centers of the initial oxide phase retain an octahedral coordination environment in the fluorinated product, resulting in a material containing an extended array of apex-linked Cr4+O6 units. Typically materials containing networks of octahedrally coordinated Cr4+ centers can only be prepared at high pressure; thus, the preparation of La2SrCr2O7F2 demonstrates that low-temperature topochemical reactions offer an alternative synthesis route to materials of this type. Neutron diffraction, magnetization, and μ+SR data indicate that La2SrCr2O7F2 undergoes a transition to an antiferromagnetic state below TN ≈ 140 K. The structure–property relations of this phase and other Cr4+ oxide phases are discussed.