title: Magnetic order through super-superexchanges in the polar magnetoelectric organic-inorganic hybrid Cr[(D3N-(CH2)2-PO3)(Cl)(D2O)].
abstract: The crystal and magnetic structures of the organic-inorganic hybrid compound Cr(II) ammoniumethylphosphonate chloride monohydrate, Cr[D(3)N-(CH(2))(2)-PO(3))(Cl)(D(2)O)] (1), have been studied by temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. The compound represents a rare example of a magnetoelectric polar organic-inorganic hybrid solid, containing high spin Cr(2+) ions (S = 2) and is a canted antiferromagnet (weak ferromagnet) below T(N) = 5.5 K. The neutron powder diffraction pattern recorded at T = 10 K, shows that the partially deuterated compound crystallizes in the same non centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P2(1) (No. 4) with the following unit-cell parameters: a = 5.24041(4) Å, b =13.93113(8) Å, c = 5.26081(4) Å, and β = 105.4347(5)°. Powder neutron diffraction of a partially deuterated sample has enabled us, for the first time, to locate the water molecule. At low temperature, the compound presents a canted antiferromagnetic state characterized by k = 0 resulting in the magnetic symmetry P2(1)'. This symmetry is in agreement with the previously reported large magnetodielectric effect. The crystal structure of (1) can be described as being built up of triangular lattice planes made up of [Cr(II)O(4)Cl] square pyramids which are separated by ammonium ethyl groups along the b axis. The transition from paramagnetic to weakly ferromagnetic state results from super-superexchanges only. Surprisingly, while the overall magnetic behavior is antiferromagnetic, the Cr(II)O(4)Cl planes are ferromagnetic, and the strongest antiferromagnetic coupling is via the ammonium ethyl groups. Our density functional calculations confirm these aspects of the spin exchange interactions of (1) and that the spin exchange interactions between Cr(II) ions are considerably weak compared with the single-ion anisotropy of Cr(II).
authors.affiliation: Diffraction Group BP 156, Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. nenert@ill.eu
authors.forename: Gwilherm
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nénert
authors.forename: Hyun-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Claire V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Colin
authors.forename: Elvira M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Carlo
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authors.lastname: Bellitto
authors.forename: Clemens
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authors.forename: Guido
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authors.lastname: Whangbo