In situ X-ray powder diffraction, synthesis, and magnetic properties of InVO 3

Abstract

We report the first synthesis and high-temperature in situ X-ray diffraction study of InVO 3. Polycrystalline InVO 3 has been prepared via reduction of InVO 4 using a carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide buffer gas. InVO 3 crystallizes in the bixbyite structure in space group Ia−3 (206) with a=9.80636(31) Å with In 3+/V 3+ disorder on the (8 b) and (24 d) cation sites. In situ powder X-ray diffraction experiments and thermal gravimetric analysis in a CO/CO 2 buffer gas revealed the existence of the metastable phase InVO 3. Bulk samples with 98.5(2)% purity were prepared using low-temperature reduction methods. The preparative methods limited the crystallinity of this new phase to approximately 225(50) Å. Magnetic susceptibility and neutron diffraction experiments suggest a spin-glass ground state for InVO 3.