Crystals (May 2015)

Novel S = 1/2 Kagome Lattice Materials: Cs2TiCu3F12 and Rb2TiCu3F12

  • Lewis J. Downie,
  • Elena I. Ardashnikova,
  • Chiu C. Tang,
  • Alexandre N. Vasiliev,
  • Peter S. Berdonosov,
  • Valery A. Dolgikh,
  • Mark A. de Vries,
  • Philip Lightfoot

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst5020226
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. 226 – 243

Abstract

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Two new members of the A2B′Cu3F12 family of kagome-related materials have been prepared, in order to further understand the crystal-chemical relationships, phase transitions and magnetic behaviour within this family of potentially frustrated S = ½ two-dimensional quantum magnets. Cs2TiCu3F12 adopts a crystal structure with the ideal kagome lattice topology (space group R m) at ambient temperature. Diffraction studies reveal different symmetry-lowering structural phase transitions in single crystal and polycrystalline forms at sub-ambient temperatures, with the single crystal form retaining rhombohedral symmetry and the powder form being monoclinic. In both cases, long-range antiferromagnetic order occurs in the region 16–20 K. Rb2TiCu3F12 adopts a distorted triclinic structure even at ambient temperatures.

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