A simple synthesis and room temperature magnetic properties of new binary Mn0.5Fe0.5(H2PO4)2·xH2O obtained from a rapid co-precipitation at ambient temperature

A new binary Mn0.5Fe0.5(H2PO4)2·xH2O powder was synthesized by simple and cost-effective method using phosphoric acid, manganese and iron metals as starting chemicals. The synthesized solid shows the complex thermal transformations and the final decomposition product is a new binary manganese iron cyclo-tetraphosphate, MnFeP4O12. The X-ray diffraction and FTIR results indicate that the synthesized new binary Mn0.5Fe0.5(H2PO4)2·xH2O and the decomposition MnFeP4O12 powders are a pure monoclinic phase with space group P21/n (Z = 2) and C2/c (Z = 4), respectively. The particle morphologies of Mn0.5Fe0.5(H2PO4)2·xH2O and MnFeP4O12 powders appear as the rod-like tetragonal shape and show a high agglomeration of small particles, which are similar to the case of Mn(H2PO4)2·2H2O and Fe2P4O12, respectively. Room temperature magnetization results show a ferromagnetic behavior of the Mn0.5Fe0.5(H2PO4)2·xH2O and MnFeP4O12 powders, having the hysteresis loops in the range of −10,000 Oe < H < +10,000 Oe with the specific magnetization values of 25.63 and 13.14 emu/g at 10 kOe, respectively. The lower magnetizations of Mn0.5Fe0.5(H2PO4)2·xH2O and MnFeP4O12 than those of Fe(H2PO4)2·2H2O and Fe2P4O12 powders indicate the presence of Mn ions in substitution position of Fe ions.

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