Abstract

We report optimized crystal growth conditions for the quarternary compound AgCrP2S6 by chemical vapor transport. Compositional and structural characterization of the obtained crystals were carried out by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. AgCrP2S6 is structurally closely related to the M2P2S6 family, which contains several compounds that are under investigation as 2D magnets. As-grown crystals exhibit a plate-like, layered morphology as well as a hexagonal habitus. AgCrP2S6 crystallizes in monoclinic symmetry in the space group P2/a (No. 13). The successful growth of large high-quality single crystals paves the way for further investigations of low dimensional magnetism and its anisotropies in the future and may further allow for the manufacturing of few-layer (or even monolayer) samples by exfoliation.

Highlights

  • Among the magnetic quasi-two-dimensional materials that have recently moved in the focus oftwo-dimensional (2D) materials research [1,2,3], the M2P2S6 class of layered materials offers a plenitude of isostructural compounds with different magnetic properties depending on M [4,5]

  • The crystals obtained from the chemical vapor transport (CVT) crystal growth experiments were thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) regarding their morphology and topography using a secondary electron (SE) detector and regarding chemical homogeneity via the chemical contrast obtained from a back scattered electron (BSE) detector

  • We report optimized crystal growth conditions for the quarternary compound AgCrP2S6 via Chemical Vapor Transport (CVT)

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Summary

Introduction

Among the magnetic quasi-two-dimensional materials that have recently moved in the focus of (quasi-)two-dimensional (2D) materials research [1,2,3], the M2P2S6 class of layered materials offers a plenitude of isostructural compounds with different magnetic properties depending on M [4,5]. MInocnosntrtaratesdt ttohtahteaissuobvsatlietnuttisounbostfitMut22i+onbyseMrie1s+hMow3+evaelrs,oMyi1e+ldasnsdevMer3a+l do not randomly occupy the M positions in the lattice but order either in an alternating or in a zig-zag stripe-like arrangement on the honeycomb, as illustrated in Figure 1b,c, respectively The former arrangement is attributed to a minimization of repulsive Coloumb interactions (i.e., charge ordering). Taylor et al [23] and Nitsche et al [24] report the successful crystal growth of M2P2S6 with M = Mn, Fe, Ni, Cd and Sn by CVT using either chlorine or iodine as transport agent and we present the crystal growth of mixed transition metal phosphorus sulfides of the substitution series (Fe1−xNix)2P2S6 [16] and (Mn1−xNix)2P2S6 [14] by the same technique with iodine as agent. In addition to the crystal growth of AgCrP2S6, we present a comprehensive compositional and structural characterization of the obtained crystals

Materials and Methods
Crystal Growth via Chemical Vapor Transport
Crystal Morphology and Compositional Analysis
Summary and Conclusions

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