Synthesis-Controlled Polymorphism and Magnetic and Electrochemical Properties of Li₃Co₂SbO₆

Li₃Co₂SbO₆ is found to adopt two highly distinct structural forms: a pseudohexagonal (monoclinic C2/m) layered O3-LiCoO₂ type phase with "honeycomb" 2:1 ordering of Co and Sb, and an orthorhombic Fddd phase, isostructural with Li₃Co₂TaO₆ but with the addition of significant Li/Co ordering. Pure samples of both phases can be obtained by conventional solid-state synthesis via a precursor route using Li₃SbO₄ and CoO, by controlling particle size, initial lithium excess, and reaction time. Both phases show relatively poor performance as lithium-ion battery cathode materials in their as-made states, but complex and interesting low-temperature magnetic properties. The honeycomb phase is the first of its type to show A-type antiferromagnetic order (ferromagnetic planes, antiferromagnetically coupled) below T_N = 14 K. Isothermal magnetization and in-field neutron diffraction below T_N show clear evidence for a metamagnetic transition at H ≈ 0.7 T to three-dimensional ferromagnetic order. The orthorhombic phase orders antiferromagnetically below T_N = 112 K and then undergoes two more transitions at 80 and 60 K. Neutron diffraction data show that the ground state is incommensurate.