Structural phase transitions and sodium ordering in Na0.5CoO2: a combined electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy study

The nonstoichiometric NaxCoO2 system exhibits extraordinary physical properties that correlate with temperature and Na concentration in its layered lattice without evident long-range structure modification when conventional crystallographic techniques are applied. For instance, Na0.7CoO2, a thermodynamically stable phase, shows large thermoelectric power; water-intercalated Na0.33CoO2·1.3H2O is a newly discovered superconductor with Tc∼4 K, and Na0.5CoO2 exhibits an unexpected charge ordering transition at around Tco∼55 K. Recent studies suggest that the transport and magnetic properties in the NaxCoO2 system strongly depend on the charge carrier density and local structural properties. Here we report a combined variable temperature transmission electron microscopy and Raman scattering investigation on structural transformations in Na0.5CoO2 single crystals. A series of structural phase transitions in the temperature range from 80 to 1000 K are directly identified and the observed superstructures and modulated phases can be interpreted by Na-ordering. The Raman scattering measurements reveal phase separation and a systematic evolution of active modes along with phase transitions. Our work demonstrates that the high mobility and ordering of sodium cations among the CoO2 layers are a key factor for the presence of complex structural properties in NaxCoO2 materials, and also demonstrate that the combination of electron diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements is an efficient way for studying the cation ordering and phase transitions in related systems.