• Kamutzki, F.; Bekheet, M.F.; Selve, S.; Kampmann, F.; Siemensmeyer, K.; Kober, D.; Gillen, R.; Wagner, M.; Maultzsch, J.; Gurlo, A.; Hanaor, D.A.H.: NaGdSi2O6-A novel antiferromagnetically coupled silicate with Vierer chain structure. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 317 (2023), p. 123677/1-8

10.1016/j.jssc.2022.123677

Abstract:
Ceramics based on pyroxenes and pyroxenoids present new pathways towards diverse functional materials. In this study, a novel sodium gadolinium pyroxene of the composition NaGdSi2O6 was successfully synthesised via a chelation-polymerization based sol-gel method and its crystal structure was determined by Rietveld refined synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. NaGdSi2O6 crystallises in monoclinic symmetry with space group P21/c and unit cell parameters of a = 5.44069(8) Å, b = 13.83410(17) Å, c = 7.66897(9) Å and β = 109.9929(6)° (Z = 4). The structure has been identified to be an inosilicate with a strongly undulated single tetrahedral chain along c with a chain periodicity of 4 (Vierer chain). Vierer chain-type NaGdSi2O6 shows a weak antiferromagnetic coupling, however there is no evidence for long-range magnetic order above 2 K.