Synthesis, crystal growth, structural and magnetic characterization of NH{sub 4}MCl{sub 2}(HCOO), M=(Fe, Co, Ni)
An ambient-pressure solution route and an improved solvothermal synthetic method have been developed to produce polycrystalline powders and large single crystals of NH{sub 4}MCl{sub 2}(HCOO) (M=Fe, Co, Ni). The magnetic structure of the 1D linear chain compound NH{sub 4}FeCl{sub 2}(HCOO) has been determined by low-temperature neutron powder diffraction, revealing ferromagnetic intra-chain interactions and antiferromagnetic inter-chain interactions. The newly-reported Co and Ni analogs are isostructural with NH{sub 4}FeCl{sub 2}(HCOO), but there are significant differences in the magnetic properties of each compound; the Ni analog behaves similarly to the Fe compound but with stronger magnetic coupling, exhibiting antiferromagnetic ordering (T{sub N}=8.5 K) and a broad metamagnetic transition between 2 and 5 T, while the Co analog does not order magnetically above 2 K, despite strong antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interactions. - Graphical abstract: Large single crystals of NH{sub 4}MCl{sub 2}(HCOO) (M=Fe, Co, Ni), which adopt a 1D zig-zag chain structure, can be grown via a solvothermal method. Neutron diffraction experiments revealed that the magnetic structure of the iron compound exhibits ferromagnetic intra-chain coupling and antiferromagnetic inter-chain coupling. - Highlights: • Large crystals of NH{sub 4}MCl{sub 2}(HCOO) (M=Fe, Co, Ni) have been grown solvothermally. • The magnetic structure of M=Fe was solved by low-temperature neutron diffraction. • NH{sub 4}FeCl{sub 2}(HCOO) exhibits FM intra-chain and AFM inter-chain interactions. • NH{sub 4}CoCl{sub 2}(HCOO) exhibits no 3D magnetic ordering above 2 K. • NH{sub 4}NiCl{sub 2}(HCOO) exhibits AFM ordering (T{sub N}=8.5 K) and FM intra-chain interactions.