Phase diagram of SrO–InO1.5–CoOx and a new compound Sr3In0.9Co1.1O6

Sr3In0.9Co1.1O6, isostructural to Ca3Co2O6, is revealed by the study of the phase relations in the system SrO–InO1.5–CoOx (1000 °C). The structure of Sr3In0.9Co1.1O6 is refined by the combination of powder X-ray and neutron diffraction. Sr3In0.9Co1.1O6 crystallizes in a trigonal lattice with the cell parameters a=b=9.59438(3) Å, c=11.02172(4) Å with the space group R-3c. Its structure possesses 1D (In/Co)O3 chains running along the c-axis constructed by alternating face-sharing CoO6 octahedra and (In0.9Co0.1)O6 trigonal prisms. The co-occupation of In3+ and Co3+ at the trigonal prismatic site is evidenced by elementary analysis and determined by the structure refinement. Sr3In0.9Co1.1O6 is paramagnetic, and the susceptibility is consistent with the occupation of Co3+ at 10% of the trigonal prismatic positions in a high spin state (HS, S=2). The HS Co3+ is well separated by diamagnetic CoO6 octahedra and InO6 trigonal prisms and shows a g factor of 2.0 in the magnetic measurements.