Crystal structures, charge and oxygen-vacancy ordering in oxygen deficient perovskites SrMnOx (x<2.7)

Bulk SrMnOx samples with oxygen contents 2.5⩽x<2.7 have been studied using a combination of neutron time-of-flight and high-energy high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements along with thermogravimetric analysis. We report the identification and characterization of two new oxygen-vacancy ordered phases, Sr5Mn5O13 (SrMnO2.6-tetragonal P4/m a=8.6127(3) Å, c=3.8102(2) Å) and Sr7Mn7O19 (SrMnO2.714-monoclinic P2/m a=8.6076(4) Å, b=12.1284(4) Å, c=3.8076(2) Å, γ=98.203(2)°). The nuclear and magnetic structures of Sr2Mn2O5 are also reported (SrMnO2.5 nuclear: orthorhombic Pbam, magnetic: Orthorhombic Ay type Pcbam with cM=2c). In the three phases, oxygen-vacancies are ordered in lines running along one of the (100) directions of the parent cubic perovskite system. Oxygen-vacancy ordering allows the charge and orbital ordering of the Mn3+ and Mn4+ cations in the new phases.