Spin dimerization in a mixed-valent dodecylamine-intercalated vanadium oxide system

An apparent spin-Peierls transition involving abrupt spin dimerization has been identified at a high temperature of Tp=375K in a mixed-valent dodecylamine-intercalated vanadium oxide, a precursor to the vanadium oxide nanotubes. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility in the spin-dimerized state below the transition temperature was explained by coexisting one-dimensional antiferromagnetic spins and dimer spins, the nonmagnetic V5+ ions in the system acting as nonmagnetic impurities giving rise to an impurity-induced antiferromagnetism, observed in (quasi-)one-dimensional spin gap systems.