Crystal structure and magnetic properties of the solid-solution phase Ca3Co2−vScvO6

The two crystallographically non-equivalent Co atoms of the quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure of Ca3Co2O6 form chains with alternating, face-sharing polyhedra of Co2O6 trigonal prisms and Co1O6 octahedra. This compound forms a substitutional solid-solution phase with Sc, in which the Sc atoms enter the Co2 sublattice exclusively. The homogeneity range of Ca3Co2−vScvO6 (more specifically Ca3Co1Co21−vScvO6) extends up to v≈0.55. The crystal structure belongs to space group R3¯c with lattice parameters (in hexagonal setting): 9.0846(3)⩽a⩽9.1300(2) Å and 10.3885(4)⩽c⩽10.4677(4) Å. The magnetic moment decreases rapidly with increasing amount of the non-magnetic Sc solute in the lattice.