Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Magnetic Properties of a Vanadium Oxide Nitride with Pseudobrookite‐type Structure

Abstract A pseudobrookite‐type vanadium oxide nitride V 3 O 4.61 N 0.27 has been prepared by reaction of vanadium sulfide with gaseous ammonia. Small amounts of nitrogen incorporated in the structure result in the stabilization of the pseudobrookite type not known from vanadium oxides. The crystal structure was investigated using X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. At temperatures above 630 °C, the oxide nitride decomposes to corundum‐type V 2 O 3 and small amounts of monoclinic V 3 O 5 and VO 2 (R) without a detectable amount of nitrogen. V 3 O 4.61 N 0.27 shows Curie–Weiss behavior down to 3.1 K. The H = 10 kOe susceptibility data give no hint for magnetic ordering.