Light-induced changes in magnetism in a coordination polymer heterostructure, Rb0.24Co[Fe(CN)6]0.74@K0.10Co[Cr(CN)6]0.70·nH2O and the role of the shell thickness on the properties of both core and shell.

Particles of formula Rb0.24Co[Fe(CN)6]0.74@K0.10Co[Cr(CN)6]0.70·nH2O with a light-responsive rubidium cobalt hexacyanoferrate (RbCoFe) core and a magnetic potassium cobalt hexacyanochromate (KCoCr) shell have been prepared and exhibit light-induced changes in the magnetization of the normally light-insensitive KCoCr shell, a new property resulting from the synergy between the core and shell of a coordination polymer heterostructure. A single batch of 135 ± 12 nm RbCoFe particles are used as seeds to generate three different core@shell samples, with KCoCr shell thicknesses of approximately 11, 23 and 37 nm, to probe the influence of the shell thickness over the particles' morphology and structural and magnetic properties. Synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction reveals that structural changes in the shell accompany the charge transfer induced spin transition (CTIST) of the core, giving direct evidence that the photomagnetic response of the shell is magnetomechanical in origin. The depth to which the KCoCr shell contributes to changes in magnetization is estimated to be approximately 24 nm when using a model that assumes a constant magnetic response of the core within the series of particles. In turn, the presence of the shell changes the nature of the CTIST of the core. As opposed to the usually observed first order transition exhibiting hysteresis, the CTIST becomes continuous in the core@shell particles.

Order-disorder transition involving the A-site cations in Ln3+Mn3V4O12 perovskites.

A crossover from the A-site-ordered double-perovskite structure with Im3̅ cubic symmetry to the simple-perovskite structure with Pnma orthorhombic symmetry is found in LnMn3V4O12 (Ln = La, Nd, Gd, Y, Lu) synthesized under high-pressure conditions. Relatively large Ln(3+) ions (La(3+), Nd(3+), and Gd(3+)) induce the a(+)a(+)a(+) in-phase cooperative tilting of the VO6 octahedra, resulting in the A-site-ordered double-perovskite structure with chemical composition Ln(3+)Mn(2+)3V(3.75+)4O12. Compounds with small Ln(3+) ions like Y(3+) and Lu(3+), on the other hand, crystallize with the Pnma simple-perovskite structure with chemical composition (Ln(3+)1/4Mn(2+)3/4)V(3.75+)O3, where the Ln(3+) and Mn(2+) ions are disordered at the A site. The random distribution of the small A-site cation induces the a(-)b(+)a(-) tilting distortion of the VO6 octahedra. The observed phase crossover is well explained by the structural stability calculation based on the bond-valence-sum model, and the most stable crystal structure gives the smallest unit-cell volume. This A-site-cation size-dependent phase transition between the A-site-ordered double-perovskite and A-site-disordered simple-perovskite structures in LnMn3V4O12 is thus a result of the structural stability due to the cooperative tilting of the VO6 octahedra. The Mn(2+) ions at the A'(A) site contribute local magnetic moments, whereas the V(3.75+) ions at the B site play a role in metallic conduction. The observed magnetic behaviors are consistent with the order-disorder distribution of the Mn(2+) ions at the A site, antiferromagnetism in the A-site-ordered double perovskites, and magnetic spin glass in the A-site-disordered simple perovskites.

Structure determination of A2M3+TaO6 and A2M3+NbO6 ordered perovskites: octahedral tilting and pseudosymmetry.

The room-temperature crystal structures of six A(2)M(3+)M(5+)O(6) ordered perovskites have been determined from neutron and X-ray powder diffraction data. Ba(2)YNbO(6) adopts the aristotype high-symmetry cubic structure (space group Fm\overline 3m, Z = 4). The symmetries of the remaining five compounds were lowered by octahedral tilting distortions. Out-of-phase rotations of the octahedra about the c axis were observed in Sr(2)CrTaO(6) and Sr(2)GaTaO(6), which lowers the symmetry to tetragonal (space group = I4/m, Z = 2, Glazer tilt system = a(0)a(0)c(-)). Octahedral tilting analogous to that seen in GdFeO(3) occurs in Sr(2)ScNbO(6), Ca(2)AlNbO(6) and Ca(2)CrTaO(6), which lowers the symmetry to monoclinic (space group P2(1)/n, Z = 2, Glazer tilt system = a(-)a(-)c(+)). The Sr(2)MTaO(6) (M = Cr, Ga, Sc) compounds have unit-cell dimensions that are highly pseudo-cubic. Ca(2)AlNbO(6) and Ca(2)CrTaO(6) have unit-cell dimensions that are strongly pseudo-orthorhombic. This high degree of pseudosymmetry complicates the space-group assignment and structure determination. The space-group symmetries, unit-cell dimensions and cation ordering characteristics of an additional 13 compositions, as determined from X-ray powder diffraction data, are also reported. An analysis of the crystal structures of 32 A(2)MTaO(6) and A(2)MNbO(6) perovskites shows that in general the octahedral tilt system strongly correlates with the tolerance factor.

Structure prediction of ordered and disordered multiple octahedral cation perovskites using SPuDS.

The software package SPuDS has previously been shown to accurately predict crystal structures of AMX(3) and A(1 - x)A'(x)MX(3) perovskites that have undergone octahedral tilting distortions. This paper describes the extension of this technique and its accuracy for A(2)MM'X(6) ordered double perovskites with the aristotype Fm\overline 3m cubic structure, as well as those that have undergone octahedral tilting distortions. A survey of the literature shows that roughly 70% of all ordered double perovskites undergo octahedral tilting distortions. Of the 11 distinct types of octahedral tilting that can occur in ordered perovskites, five tilt systems account for approximately 97% of the reported structures. SPuDS can calculate structures for the five dominant tilt systems, Fm\overline 3m (a(0)a(0)a(0)), I4/m (a(0)a(0)c(-)), R\overline 3 (a(-)a(-)a(-)), I2/m (a(0)b(-)b(-)) and P2(1)/n (a(-)a(-)b(+)), as well as two additional tilt systems, Pn\overline 3 (a(+)a(+)a(+)) and P4/mnc (a(0)a(0)c(+)). Comparison with reported crystal structures shows that SPuDS is quite accurate at predicting distortions driven by octahedral tilting. The favored modes of octahedral tilting in ordered double perovskites are compared and contrasted with those in AMX(3) perovskites. Unit-cell pseudosymmetry in Sr- and Ca-containing double perovskites is also examined. Experimentally, Sr(2)MM'O(6) compounds show a much stronger tendency toward pseudosymmetry than do Ca(2)MM'O(6) compounds with similar tolerance factors.

Pressure induced octahedral tilting distortion in Ba2YTaO6.

Herein we communicate the first example of a pressure induced octahedral tilting distortion in a double perovskite phase, which was observed during the structural characterization of Ba2YTaO6 using high-pressure synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction.

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of mixed iridium-ruthenium triple perovskites. 2. Ba3MRuIrO9 (M=Li, Na, Mg, Ni, Zn, Bi, In).

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Ba3MRuIrO9 (M1+=Li, Na; M2+=Mg, Ni, Zn; M3+=Bi, In) were investigated. Rietveld refinements of the crystal structures using powder diffraction data indicate that, with the exception of Ba3BiRuIrO9, all compounds crystallize in the 6H-BaTiO3 structure type in space group P63/mmc; Ba3BiRuIrO9 crystallizes in space group C2/c. The 6H-BaTiO3, or triple-perovskite, structure is composed of hexagonal and cubic stacking of [AO3] layers and contains face- and corner-sharing octahedra. The structures in this study contain a disordered mixture of Ir and Ru in the face-sharing octahedra dimers, which are connected via corner-shared MO6 octahedra. Magnetic susceptibility measurements as a function of temperature were carried out on each compound. Effective magnetic moments were smaller than values estimated using spin-only moments, which indicate the presence of spin-orbit coupling and strong interactions in the face-sharing octahedra that contain a disordered mixture of Ru and Ir on a single crystallographic site. Over a broad temperature range, a divergence of the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled data were observed for Ba3MgRuIrO9, Ba3NiRuIrO9, Ba3ZnRuIrO9, and Ba3LiRuIrO9.

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of mixed iridium-ruthenium triple perovskites. 1. Ba3MRuIrO9 (M=Lanthanide, Y).

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of Ba3MRuIrO9 (M=lanthanides, Y) were investigated. Rietveld refinements using powder diffraction data indicate that all the compounds crystallize in the 6H-BaTiO3 structure type in space group P63/mmc. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out on each compound. Effective magnetic moments were smaller than values estimated using spin-only moments, which indicate the presence of spin-orbit coupling and strong interactions in the [(Ru0.5Ir0.5)2O9] face-sharing octahedra that contain a disordered mixture of Ru and Ir on a single crystallographic site. Magnetic anomalies were observed for the compounds Ba3PrRuIrO9, Ba3TbRuIrO9, and Ba3NdRuIrO9 at 3.5, 13, and 8 K, respectively.

Jahn-Teller distortions, cation ordering and octahedral tilting in perovskites.

In transition metal oxides, preferential occupation of specific d orbitals on the transition metal ion can lead to the development of a long-range ordered pattern of occupied orbitals. This phenomenon, referred to as orbital ordering, is usually observed indirectly from the cooperative Jahn-Teller distortions (CJTDs) that result as a consequence of the orbital ordering. This paper examines the interplay between orbital ordering, octahedral tilting and cation ordering in perovskites. Both ternary AMX(3) perovskites containing an active Jahn-Teller (J-T) ion on the octahedral site and quaternary A(2)MM'X(6) perovskites containing a J-T ion on one-half of the octahedral sites have been examined. In AMX(3) perovskites, the tendency is for the occupied 3d(3x2-r2) and 3d(3z2-r2) orbitals to order in the ac plane, as exemplified by the crystal structures of LaMnO(3) and KCuF(3). This arrangement maintains a favorable coordination environment for the anion sites. In AMX(3) perovskites, octahedral tilting tends to enhance the magnitude of the J-T distortions. In A(2)MM'X(6) perovskites, the tendency is for the occupied 3d(3z2-r2) orbitals to align parallel to the c axis. This pattern maintains a favorable coordination environment about the symmetric M'-cation site. The orbital ordering found in rock-salt ordered A(2)MM'X(6) perovskites is compatible with octahedral rotations about the c axis (Glazer tilt system a(0)a(0)c(-)) but appears to be incompatible with GdFeO(3)-type octahedral tilting (tilt system a(-)b(+)a(-)).