Topotactic reduction as a synthetic route for the preparation of low-dimensional Mn(II) oxide phases: the structure and magnetism of LaAMnO(4-x) (A = Sr, Ba).

Reaction of LaSrMnO(4) with CaH(2) at 420 degrees C yields LaSrMnO(3.67(3)). Raising the temperature to 480 degrees C yields the Mn(II) phase LaSrMnO(3.50(2)). Neutron powder diffraction data show both phases adopt body-centred orthorhombic crystal structures (LaSrMnO(3.67(3)), Immm: a = 3.7256(1) A, b = 3.8227(1) A, c = 13.3617(4) A; LaSrMnO(3.50(2)), Immm: a = 3.7810(1) A, b = 3.7936(1) A, c = 13.3974(3) A) with anion vacancies located within the equatorial MnO(2-x) planes of the materials. Analogous reactivity is observed between LaBaMnO(4) and CaH(2) to yield body-centred tetragonal reduced phases (LaBaMnO(3.53(3)), I4/mmm: a = 3.8872(1)A, c = 13.6438(2) A). Low-temperature neutron diffraction and magnetisation data show that LaSrMnO(3.5) and LaBaMnO(3.5) exhibit three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order below 155 K and 135 K respectively. Above these temperatures, they exhibit two-dimensional antiferromagnetic order with paramagnetic behaviour observed above 480 K in both phases. The origin of the low dimensional magnetic order and ordering of the anion vacancies in the reduced phases is discussed.