Spin glass transition in the rhombohedral LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2

•The Rietveld analysis of XRD data reveals a single phase with rhombohedral structure.•Dc susceptibility data suggest a spin glass behavior at low T in the 333 compound.•The ac susceptibility measurements have been observed in the typical SG system.•Three models have been employed to study the behavior of the spin glass state.•Both geometrical frustration and disorder play important role in the formation of SG.

Layered LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 has been synthesized by co-precipitation method, and the magnetic properties were comprehensively studied by dc and ac susceptibilities. The dc magnetization curves show the irreversibility and spin freezing behavior at 109 K and 9 K. The evolution of real and imaginary part of ac susceptibility under different frequencies indicates a spin glass transition at low temperature. Three models (the Néel–Arrhenius law, the Vogel–Fulcher law, and the power law) have been employed to study the relaxation behavior of the spin glass state. Both frustration and disorder play important role in the formation of spin glass.