Neutron diffraction study of Zn3Fe4V6O24

Multicomponent vanadate Zn3Fe4V6O24 has been obtained by the solid-state reaction method using stoichiometric mixtures of the ZnO, Fe2O3 and V2O5 oxides. The neutron diffraction patterns of Zn3Fe4V6O24 registered at 10 and 290 K have been investigated. This material, crystallizing in the triclinic space group P1¯, has a complicated structure with two metal ion systems. Down to the temperature of 10 K no long-range magnetic order has been observed. Essential differences in the positions of metal ions were observed relative to these obtained in similar systems (β-Cu3Fe4V6O24 and Mn3Fe4V6O24) investigated by X-ray diffraction method. In contrast to previously studied vanadates (Zn2FeV3O11 and Mg2FeV3O11) no disordering of metal ions in their corresponding subsystems was detected.