Magnetic structure of Ni(DCOO)2(D2O)2

Ni(HCOO)(2)(H(2)O)(2) is a structurally simple coordination polymer showing interesting magnetic phase transitions at low temperature (<16K). Previously published studies of these phase transitions have yielded inconsistent results, questioning the correctness of the published magnetic structure. Here heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility of a fully, a partly and a non-deuterated sample were measured, and they all exhibit magnetic phase transitions around 3 and 15 K. Neutron powder diffraction data was collected on the fully deuterated sample at various temperatures between 1.5 and 25 K. A magnetic model was refined against the neutron diffraction data using a spin system composed of two canted antiferromagnetic sublattices. The magnetic moments of the two sublattices show different magnitude, 1.7 μ(B) and 1.3 μ(B), and the temperature dependence of the magnetic sublattices is quite different. One of the sublattices shows the expected temperature behavior of an antiferromagnetic compound whereas the other sublattice follows a Brillouin like function with a slowly increasing magnetization below the Néel temperature.