New molybdate Li2Co2−x Nix (MoO4)3 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 2) materials with a lyonsite structure: X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies

A solid solution was found to exist in the quaternary Li2O–CoO–NiO–MoO3 system between the two phases Li2Co2(MoO4)3 and Li2Ni2(MoO4)3. Both Li2Co2(MoO4)3 and Li2Ni2(MoO4)3 are isostructural with the mineral lyonsite, and substitution according to the formula Li2Co2−xNix(MoO4)3 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 2) demonstrates that a complete solid solution exits. Rietveld analysis revealed that solid solution crystallizes at room temperature in orthorhombic space group Pnma (D2h). The structure shows that if the corners and edges octahedra share in the leaves, they share faces columns. Nickel and cobalt are shared statically in the trigonal prism and octahedral sites. The results of these compositions are consistent with studies where the Raman spectra. Therefore, all compositions are similar and show linear changes frequencies depending on the composition due to the substitution of Co2+ by Ni2+ with a larger radius.