A metal–insulator transition tuned by application of an external magnetic field occurs in the quasi-one dimensional system Bi1.7V8O16, which contains a mix of S = 1 and S = 1/2 vanadium cations. Unlike all other known vanadates, the magnetic susceptibility of Bi1.7V8O16 diverges in its insulating state, although no long-range magnetic ordering is observed from neutron diffraction measurements, possibly due to the frustrated geometry of the triangular ladders. Magnetotransport measurements reveal that the transition temperature is suppressed upon application of an external magnetic field, from 62.5 K at zero field to 40 K at 8 T. This behavior is both hysteretic and anisotropic, suggesting t2g orbital ordering of the V3+ and V4+ cations drives a first-order structural transition. Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals a charge density wave of Bi3+ cations with a propagation vector of 0.846c*, which runs parallel to the triangular chain direction. Neutron powder diffraction measurements show a first-order structural transition, characterized by the coexistence of two tetragonal phases near the metal–insulator transition. Finally, we discuss the likelihood that ferromagnetic V–V dimers coexist with a majority spin-singlet state below the transition in Bi1.7V8O16.

Inspired by naturally occurring sulfide minerals, we present a new family of iron-based superconductors. A metastable form of FeS known as the mineral mackinawite forms two-dimensional sheets that can be readily intercalated by various cationic guest species. Under hydrothermal conditions using alkali metal hydroxides, we prepare three different cation and metal hydroxide-intercalated FeS phases including (Li1−xFexOH)FeS, [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS, and KxFe2−yS2. Upon successful intercalation of the FeS layer, the superconducting critical temperature Tc of mackinawite is enhanced from 5 K to 8 K for the (Li1−xFexOH)δ+ intercalate. Layered heterostructures of [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS resemble the natural mineral tochilinite, which contains an iron square lattice interleaved with a hexagonal hydroxide lattice. Whilst heterostructured [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS displays long-range magnetic ordering near 15 K, KxFe2−yS2 displays short range antiferromagnetism.

We present a general strategy to synthesize metastable layered materials via topochemical deintercalation of thermodynamically stable phases. Through kinetic control of the deintercalation reaction, we have prepared two hypothesized metastable compounds, CoSe and CoS, with the anti-PbO type structure from the starting compounds KCo2Se2 and KCo2S2, respectively. Thermal stability, crystal structure from X-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, and electrical resistivity are studied for these new layered chalcogenides; both CoSe and CoS are found to be weak itinerant ferromagnets with Curie temperatures close to 10 K. Due to the weak van der Waals forces between the layers, CoSe is found to be a suitable host for further intercalation of guest species such as Li-ethylenediamine. From first-principles calculations, we explain why the Co chalcogenides are ferromagnets instead of superconductors as in their iron analogues. Bonding analysis of the calculated electronic density of states both explains their phase stability and predicts the limits of our deintercalation technique. Our results have broad implications for the rational design of new two-dimensional building blocks for functional materials.

Oxygen storage materials (OSMs) provide lattice oxygen for a number of chemical-looping reactions including natural gas combustion and methane reforming. La1–xSrxFeO3−δ has shown promise for use as an OSM in methane reforming reactions due to its high product selectivity, fast oxide diffusion, and cycle stability. Here, we investigate the structural evolution of the series La1–xSrxFeO3−δ for x = 0, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, and 1, using in situ synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction, as it is cycled under the conditions of a chemical-looping reactor (methane and oxygen atmospheres). In the compositions x = 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, and 1, we discover an “envelope”, or temperature range, of oxygen storage capacity (OSC), where oxygen can easily and reversibly be inserted and removed from the OSM. Our in situ X-ray and neutron diffraction results reveal that while samples with higher Sr contents had a higher OSC, those same samples suffered from slower reaction kinetics and some, such as the x = 1/2 and x = 2/3 compositions, had local variations in Sr content, which led to inhomogeneous regions with varying reaction rates. Therefore, we highlight the importance of in situ diffraction studies, and we propose that these measurements are required for the thorough evaluation of future candidate OSMs. We recommend La2/3Sr1/3FeO3−δ as the optimal OSM in the series because its structure remains homogeneous throughout the reaction, and its OSC “envelope” is similar to that of the higher doped materials.

We report the phase diagram for the superconducting system (7Li1−xFexOD)FeSe and contrast it with that of (Li1−xFexOH)FeSe both in single crystal and powder forms. Samples were prepared via hydrothermal methods and characterized by laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, high-resolution neutron powder diffraction (NPD), and high intensity NPD. We find a correlation between the tetragonality of the unit cell parameters and the critical temperature, Tc, which is indicative of the effects of charge doping on the lattice and formation of iron vacancies in the FeSe layer. We observe no appreciable isotope effect on the maximum Tc in substituting H by D. The NPD measurements definitively rule out an antiferromagnetic ordering in the non-superconducting (Li1−xFexOD)FeSe samples below 120 K, which has been reported in non-superconducting (Li1−xFexOH)FeSe. A likely explanation for the observed antiferromagnetic transition in (Li1−xFexOH)FeSe samples is the formation of impurities during their preparation such as Fe3O4 and LixFeO2, which express a charge ordering transition known as the Verwey transition near 120 K. The concentration of these oxide impurities is found to be dependent on the concentration of the lithium hydroxide reagent and the use of H2O vs. D2O as the solvent during synthesis. We also describe the reaction conditions that lead to some of our superconducting samples to exhibit ferromagnetism below Tc.

The iron chalcogenides FeSe and FeS are superconductors composed of two-dimensional sheets held together by van der Waals interactions, which makes them prime candidates for the intercalation of various guest species. We review the intercalation chemistry of FeSe and FeS superconductors and discuss their synthesis, structure, and physical properties. Before we review the latest work in this area, we provide a brief background on the intercalation chemistry of other inorganic materials that exhibit enhanced superconducting properties upon intercalation, which include the transition metal dichalcogenides, fullerenes, and layered cobalt oxides. From past studies of these intercalated superconductors, we discuss the role of the intercalates in terms of charge doping, structural distortions, and Fermi surface reconstruction. We also briefly review the physical and chemical properties of the host materials—mackinawite-type FeS and β-FeSe. The three types of intercalates for the iron chalcogenides can be placed in three categories: 1.) alkali and alkaline earth cations intercalated through the liquid ammonia technique; 2.) cations intercalated with organic amines such as ethylenediamine; and 3.) layered hydroxides intercalated during hydrothermal conditions. A recurring theme in these studies is the role of the intercalated guest in electron doping the chalcogenide host and in enhancing the two-dimensionality of the electronic structure by spacing the FeSe layers apart. We end this review discussing possible new avenues in the intercalation chemistry of transition metal monochalcogenides, and the promise of these materials as a unique set of new inorganic two-dimensional systems.Graphical abstract

Magnetic insulators are functional materials with potential applications in spintronics and multiferroics. The hollandites AxM8O16, which contain mixed-valent transition metals, have demonstrated ferromagnetism combined with insulating behavior and provide a new platform for exploring the effects of magnetic frustration due to their “folded” triangular lattice. We have tuned the hollandite BaxMn8O16 from a complex antiferromagnet with Néel temperature (TN) = 25 K to a ferrimagnet with Curie temperature (TC) = 180 K via partial cobalt substitution for manganese. Both BaxMn8O16 and BaxCoyMn8-yO16 were prepared by salt flux methods, and combined neutron and X-ray diffraction confirm a distorted hollandite-type structure for both oxides. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the Co2+ substitution drives the average Mn oxidation state from 3.7+ to nearly 4.0+, thereby changing its d-electron count. Magnetization and resistivity measurements show that the cobalt-doped hollandite is a ferrimagnetic insulator, with a high TC of 180 K. On the basis of neutron diffraction measurements, we provide the first solution of the magnetic structure of BaxMn8O16, which consists of a complex antiferromagnet with a large magnetic unit cell. Upon substituting cobalt for manganese, the magnetic structure changes dramatically, destroying the previously large magnetic unit cell and promoting ferromagnetic alignment along the hollandite tunnel direction. The observed hysteresis at base temperature for BaxCoyMn8–yO16 is explained as arising from uncompensated spins aligned along the (200) crystallographic planes.

Sr2FeMoO6 has been extensively studied for application in spintronic devices. Through the topochemical de-intercalation of oxygen anions with metal hydride reduction, we demonstrate that the high temperature cubic phase is stabilized, at room temperature, whilst leaving the magnetic ordering intact. Synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction were used to characterize the structure and stoichiometry of the reduced oxide.

Sr2FeMoO6 has been extensively studied for application in spintronic devices. Through the topochemical de-intercalation of oxygen anions with metal hydride reduction, we demonstrate that the high temperature cubic phase is stabilized, at room temperature, whilst leaving the magnetic ordering intact. Synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction were used to characterize the structure and stoichiometry of the reduced oxide.

We report the phase diagram for the superconducting system (7Li1−xFexOD)FeSe and contrast it with that of (Li1−xFexOH)FeSe both in single crystal and powder forms. Samples were prepared via hydrothermal methods and characterized by laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, high-resolution neutron powder diffraction (NPD), and high intensity NPD. We find a correlation between the tetragonality of the unit cell parameters and the critical temperature, Tc, which is indicative of the effects of charge doping on the lattice and formation of iron vacancies in the FeSe layer. We observe no appreciable isotope effect on the maximum Tc in substituting H by D. The NPD measurements definitively rule out an antiferromagnetic ordering in the non-superconducting (Li1−xFexOD)FeSe samples below 120 K, which has been reported in non-superconducting (Li1−xFexOH)FeSe. A likely explanation for the observed antiferromagnetic transition in (Li1−xFexOH)FeSe samples is the formation of impurities during their preparation such as Fe3O4 and LixFeO2, which express a charge ordering transition known as the Verwey transition near 120 K. The concentration of these oxide impurities is found to be dependent on the concentration of the lithium hydroxide reagent and the use of H2O vs. D2O as the solvent during synthesis. We also describe the reaction conditions that lead to some of our superconducting samples to exhibit ferromagnetism below Tc.

We have prepared Ba6Fe25S27, and studied its magnetic properties and electronic structure. Single crystal diffraction revealed a cubic phase (Pmm) with a = 10.2057(9) Å and Z = 1. Within the large cubic cell, tetrahedrally coordinated Fe atoms arrange into octonuclear Fe8(μ4-S)6(S8) clusters, which can be described as a cube of Fe atoms with six face-capping and eight terminal S atoms. SQUID magnetometry measurements reveal an antiferromagnetic transition at 25 K and anomalous high-temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility that is non-Curie like—two magnetic signatures which mimic behavior seen in the parent phases of Fe-based superconductors. Using a combined DFT and molecular orbital based approach, we provide an interpretation of the bonding and stability within Ba6M25S27 (M = Fe, Co, Ni) and related M9S8 phases. Through a σ-bonding molecular orbital model of the transition metal coordination environments, we illustrate how the local stability can be enhanced through addition of Ba. In addition, we perform spin-polarized DFT calculations on Ba6Fe25S27 to determine the effect of adopting an antiferromagnetic spin state on its electronic structure. By studying the magnetic properties from an empirical and computational perspective, we hope to elucidate what aspects of the magnetic structure are significant to bonding.

Inspired by naturally occurring sulfide minerals, we present a new family of iron-based superconductors. A metastable form of FeS known as the mineral mackinawite forms two-dimensional sheets that can be readily intercalated by various cationic guest species. Under hydrothermal conditions using alkali metal hydroxides, we prepare three different cation and metal hydroxide-intercalated FeS phases including (Li1−xFexOH)FeS, [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS, and KxFe2−yS2. Upon successful intercalation of the FeS layer, the superconducting critical temperature Tc of mackinawite is enhanced from 5 K to 8 K for the (Li1−xFexOH)δ+ intercalate. Layered heterostructures of [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS resemble the natural mineral tochilinite, which contains an iron square lattice interleaved with a hexagonal hydroxide lattice. Whilst heterostructured [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS displays long-range magnetic ordering near 15 K, KxFe2−yS2 displays short range antiferromagnetism.

A metal–insulator transition tuned by application of an external magnetic field occurs in the quasi-one dimensional system Bi1.7V8O16, which contains a mix of S = 1 and S = 1/2 vanadium cations. Unlike all other known vanadates, the magnetic susceptibility of Bi1.7V8O16 diverges in its insulating state, although no long-range magnetic ordering is observed from neutron diffraction measurements, possibly due to the frustrated geometry of the triangular ladders. Magnetotransport measurements reveal that the transition temperature is suppressed upon application of an external magnetic field, from 62.5 K at zero field to 40 K at 8 T. This behavior is both hysteretic and anisotropic, suggesting t2g orbital ordering of the V3+ and V4+ cations drives a first-order structural transition. Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals a charge density wave of Bi3+ cations with a propagation vector of 0.846c*, which runs parallel to the triangular chain direction. Neutron powder diffraction measurements show a first-order structural transition, characterized by the coexistence of two tetragonal phases near the metal–insulator transition. Finally, we discuss the likelihood that ferromagnetic V–V dimers coexist with a majority spin-singlet state below the transition in Bi1.7V8O16.