Neutron diffraction and magnetic study of the low-temperature transitions in SrMo1-xFexO3-δ

SrMo1-xFexO3-delta (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) perovskites have recently been described as performing anode materials in solid-oxide fuel cells. In this work, we describe the structural phase transitions they undergo below room-temperature (RT), studied "in-situ" from neutron powder diffraction data and DSC measurements. At RT all the studied compositions are cubic, space group Pm-3m, with unit-cell parameters that decrease with Fe doping. Upon cooling the samples, two structural phase transitions are identified: one to a tetragonal structure with I4/mcm space group (around T-1 = 240 K), and the second one to an orthorhombic Imma phase below T-2 = 100 K. The magnetic properties have also been evaluated; the Fe substitution drives an evolution from a Pauli-paramagnetic state (x = 0) to a weak ferromagnetic state combined with antiferromagnetic interactions; the susceptibility and the saturation magnetization increases monotonically with increasing the Fe-doping content. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.