Investigation of the layered compound Fe 0.5Cd 0.5PS 3

Abstract

The homocharge substituted compound Fe 0.5Cd 0.5PS 3 of the MPS 3 family was prepared from parent compounds FePS 3 and CdPS 3. Powder XRD studies reveal the formation of a substituted homogeneous compound with a cell volume intermediate between those of FePS 3 and CdPS 3. 57Fe Mössbauer investigation was undertaken to determine the bonding configuration and structural distortion of the mixed compound. Susceptibility measurement in the temperature range 57–340 K was carried out in order to observe the changes in the magnetic behaviour of the sample due to the incorporation of cadmium ion in FePS 3. The results of magnetic measurements show that ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions are retained in spite of the fact that the metal ions are arranged in a disordered way in Fe 0.5Cd 0.5PS 3. An attempt was made to explain qualitatively the retainment of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions after the substitution of diamagnetic Cd 2+.