Zero Thermal Expansion in Magnetic and Metallic Tb(Co,Fe)2 Intermetallic Compounds

Excellent Barocaloric Effect by Modulating Geometrical Frustrations in Mn3Pt

Barocaloric materials hold great promise for next-generation solid-state cooling devices because of their green and efficient cooling performance. The insights into low-pressure-driven barocaloric materials are expected to pave the way for the widespread application of barocaloric refrigeration technology. Here, we reveal the low-pressure-driven large barocaloric effect (BCE) modulated by geometrical frustrations in Mn3Pt. The highest sensitivity to pressure of Mn3Pt in metal BCE materials results in an excellent temperature-change strength of 9.77 K 100-1 MPa-1. Neutron powder diffraction and first-principles calculations point out the dual effect of geometrical frustration on modulating the unusual BCE, which not only induces giant volume expansion by inspiring strong spin fluctuation and magnetic moment but also enhances the sensitivity of magnetic phase transition. The model of the dual effect of geometrical frustration in magnets with geometrical frustration is established, which will promote the research progress of barocaloric refrigeration devices.

Significantly Promoting the Thermal Conductivity and Machinability of Negative Thermal Expansion Alloy via In Situ Precipitation of Copper Networks

Rapid advancements in electronic devices yield an urgent demand for high-performance electronic packaging materials with high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, and great mechanical properties. However, it is a great challenge for current design philosophies to fulfill all the requirements simultaneously. Here, an effective strategy is proposed for significantly promoting the thermal conductivity and machinability of negative thermal expansion alloy (Zr,Nb)Fe2 through eutectic precipitation of copper networks. The eutectic dual-phase alloy exhibits an isotropic chips-matched thermal expansion coefficient and a thermal conductivity enhancement exceeding 200% compared with (Zr,Nb)Fe2, along with an ultimate compressive strength of 550 MPa. The addition of copper reorganizes the composition of (Zr,Nb)Fe2, which smooths the magnetic transition and shifts it toward higher temperature, resulting in linear low thermal expansion in a wide temperature range. The highly fine eutectic copper lamellae construct high thermal conductivity networks within (Zr,Nb)Fe2, serving as highways for heat transfer electrons and phonons. The in situ forming of eutectic copper lamellae also facilitates the mechanical properties by enhancing interfacial bonding and bearing additional stress after yielding of (Zr,Nb)Fe2. This work provides a novel strategy for promoting thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of negative thermal expansion alloys via eutectic precipitation of copper networks.

Critical Role of Nonrigid Unit and Spiral Acoustical Modes in Designing Colossal Negative Thermal Expansion

Exploring the relationship between thermal expansion and structural complexity is a challenging topic in the study of modern materials where volume stability is required. This work reports a new family of negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials, AM(CN)4 with A = Li and Na and M = B, Al, Ga, and In. Here, the compounds of LiB(CN)4 and NaB(CN)4 were only synthesized; others were purely computationally studied. A critical role of nonrigid vibrational modes and spiral acoustical modes has been identified in NaB(CN)4. This understanding has been exploited to design the colossal NTE materials of NaM(CN)4 (M = Al, Ga, In). A joint study involving synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations has been conducted to investigate the thermal expansion mechanism. It has been found that the A atoms can either increase the symmetry of the crystal structure, inducing stronger NTE, or lower the crystal symmetry, thus resulting in positive thermal expansion. Conversely, the M-site atoms do not affect the crystal structure. However, as the radius of the M atoms increases, the ionic nature of the C-M bonds strengthens and the CN vibrations become more flexible, thereby enhancing the NTE behavior. This study provides new insights to aid in the discovery and design of novel NTE materials and the control of thermal expansion.

Biphenyl tetracarboxylic acid-based metal-organic frameworks: a case of topology-dependent thermal expansion

The large inherent flexibility and highly modular nature of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) make them ideal candidates for the study of negative thermal expansion (NTE). Among diverse organic ligands, the biphenyl unit, which can unrestrictedly rotate along its C-C single bond, can largely enhance the structural flexibility. Herein, we explored the thermal expansion behaviors of four indium biphenyl tetracarboxylates (BPTCs). Owing to the different dihedral angles of BPTC ligands and coordination mode of In3+, they show distinct topologies: InOF-1 (nti), InOF-2 (unc), InOF-12 (pts) and InOF-13 (nou). Intriguingly, it is found that the thermal expansion is highly dependent on the specific topology. The MOFs featuring mononuclear nodes show normal positive thermal expansion (PTE), and the magnitudes of coefficients follow the trend of InOF-2 < InOF-12 < InOF-13, inversely related to averaged molecular volumes. In contrast, the InOF-1, composed of a 1D chain of corner-shared InO6 octahedrons, shows pronounced NTE. Detailed high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and lattice dynamic analyses shed light on the fact that NTE in the InOF-1 is a synergy effect of the spring-like distortion of the inorganic 1D helical chain and twisting of the BPTC ligands. The present work shows how the topological arrangement of building blocks governs the thermal expansion behaviors.

Giant Negative Thermal Expansion in Ultralight NaB(CN)4

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is crucial for controlling the thermomechanical properties of functional materials, albeit being relatively rare. This study reports a giant NTE (αV ∼-9.2 ⋅ 10-5  K-1 , 100-200 K; αV ∼-3.7 ⋅ 10-5  K-1 , 200-650 K) observed in NaB(CN)4 , showcasing interesting ultralight properties. A comprehensive investigation involving synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations has been conducted to explore the thermal expansion mechanism. The findings indicate that the low-frequency phonon modes play a primary role in NTE, and non-rigid vibration modes with most negative Grüneisen parameters are the key contributing factor to the giant NTE observed in NaB(CN)4 . This work presents a new material with giant NTE and ultralight mass density, providing insights for the understanding and design of novel NTE materials.

An isotropic zero thermal expansion alloy with super-high toughness

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) alloys with high mechanical response are crucial for their practical usage. Yet, unifying the ZTE behavior and mechanical response in one material is a grand obstacle, especially in multicomponent ZTE alloys. Herein, we report a near isotropic zero thermal expansion (αl = 1.10 × 10-6 K-1, 260-310 K) in the natural heterogeneous LaFe54Co3.5Si3.35 alloy, which exhibits a super-high toughness of 277.8 ± 14.7 J cm-3. Chemical partition, in the dual-phase structure, assumes the role of not only modulating thermal expansion through magnetic interaction but also enhancing mechanical properties via interface bonding. The comprehensive analysis reveals that the hierarchically synergistic enhancement among lattice, phase interface, and heterogeneous structure is significant for strong toughness. Our findings pave the way to tailor thermal expansion and obtain prominent mechanical properties in multicomponent alloys, which is essential to ultra-stable functional materials.

Giant uniaxial negative thermal expansion in FeZr2 alloy over a wide temperature range

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) alloys possess great practical merit as thermal offsets for positive thermal expansion due to its metallic properties. However, achieving a large NTE with a wide temperature range remains a great challenge. Herein, a metallic framework-like material FeZr₂ is found to exhibit a giant uniaxial (1D) NTE with a wide temperature range (93-1078 K, [Formula: see text]). Such uniaxial NTE is the strongest in all metal-based NTE materials. The direct experimental evidence and DFT calculations reveal that the origin of giant NTE is the couple with phonons, flexible framework-like structure, and soft bonds. Interestingly, the present metallic FeZr₂ excites giant 1D NTE mainly driven by high-frequency optical branches. It is unlike the NTE in traditional framework materials, which are generally dominated by low energy acoustic branches. In the present study, a giant uniaxial NTE alloy is reported, and the complex mechanism has been revealed. It is of great significance for understanding the nature of thermal expansion and guiding the regulation of thermal expansion.

Superior zero thermal expansion dual-phase alloy via boron-migration mediated solid-state reaction

Rapid progress in modern technologies demands zero thermal expansion (ZTE) materials with multi-property profiles to withstand harsh service conditions. Thus far, the majority of documented ZTE materials have shortcomings in different aspects that limit their practical utilization. Here, we report on a superior isotropic ZTE alloy with collective properties regarding wide operating temperature windows, high strength-stiffness, and cyclic thermal stability. A boron-migration-mediated solid-state reaction (BMSR) constructs a salient "plum pudding" structure in a dual-phase Er-Fe-B alloy, where the precursor ErFe₁₀ phase reacts with the migrated boron and transforms into the target Er₂Fe₁₄B (pudding) and α-Fe phases (plum). The formation of such microstructure helps to eliminate apparent crystallographic texture, tailor and form isotropic ZTE, and simultaneously enhance the strength and toughness of the alloy. These findings suggest a promising design paradigm for comprehensive performance ZTE alloys.

Significant Zero Thermal Expansion Via Enhanced Magnetoelastic Coupling in Kagome Magnets

Zero-thermal-expansion (ZTE) alloys, as dimensionally stable materials, are urgently required in many fields, particularly in highly advanced modern industries. In this study, high-performance ZTE with a negligible coefficient of thermal expansion a_v as small as 2.4 ppm K^-1 in a broad temperature range of 85-245 K is discovered in Hf_0.85 Ta_0.15 Fe₂ C_0.01 magnet. It is demonstrated that the addition of trace interstitial atom C into Ta-substituted Hf_0.85 Ta_0.15 Fe₂ exhibits significant capability to tune the normal positive thermal expansion into high-performance ZTE via enhanced magnetoelastic coupling in stabilized ferromagnetic structure. Moreover, direct observation of the magnetic transition between ferromagnetic and triangular antiferromagnetic states via Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, along with corresponding theoretical calculations, further uncovers the manipulation mechanism of ZTE and negative thermal expansion. A convenient and effective method to optimize thermal expansion and achieve ZTE with interstitial C addition may result in broadened applications based on the strong correlation between the magnetic properties and crystal structure.

Switch of Thermal Expansions Triggered by Itinerant Electrons in Isostructural Metal Trifluorides

Manageable thermal expansion (MTE) of metal trifluorides can be achieved by introducing local structure distortion (LSD) in the negative thermal expansion ScF₃. However, an open issue is why isostructural TiF₃, free of LSD, exhibits positive thermal expansion. Herein, a combined analysis of synchrotron X-ray diffraction, X-ray pair distribution function, and rigorous first-principles calculations was performed to reveal the important role of itinerant electrons in mediating soft phonons and lattice dynamics. Metallic TiF₃ demonstrates itinerant electrons and a suppressed Grüneisen parameter γ ≈ -20, while insulating ScF₃ absence of itinerant electrons has a considerable γ ≈ -120. With increasing electron doping concentrations in ScF₃, soft phonons become hardened and the γ is repressed significantly, identical to TiF₃. The presented results update the thermal expansion transition mechanism in framework structure analogues and provide a practical approach to obtaining MTE without inducing sizable structure distortion.

Diverse Thermal Expansion Behaviors in Ferromagnetic Cr1-δTe with NiAs-Type, Defective Structures

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) and zero thermal expansion (ZTE) properties are of great significance for the long-life stable operation of precision equipment. However, there are still existing challenges in finding new materials that exhibit NTE or ZTE over a wide temperature range. Here, we report negative, zero, and positive thermal expansion in NiAs-type, defective Cr_1-δTe, containing three compounds: hexagonal CrTe, monoclinic Cr₃Te₄, and trigonal Cr₅Te₈. CrTe shows the NTE behavior from 280 to 340 K with the volume coefficient of thermal expansion α_V = -27.6 × 10^-6 K^-1. Cr₃Te₄ shows the ZTE behavior over a wide temperature range of 180-320 K (α_V = 0.16 × 10^-6 K^-1). And Cr₅Te₈ holds the PTE behavior over the whole temperature range (α_V = 38.5 × 10^-6 K^-1). All of the samples show obvious anisotropic thermal expansion on heating. Combined with the magnetic measurements, it can be confirmed that the NTE and ZTE properties in ferromagnetic Cr_1-δTe originate from the magnetovolume effect (MVE). Such NiAs-type, defective compounds with similar compositions but different structures provide a new perspective for tuning the NTE properties of materials and searching for new materials with ZTE over a wide temperature range.

Magnetic and Magnetostrictive Behaviors of Laves-Phase Rare-Earth—Transition-Metal Compounds Tb1−xDyxCo1.95

The magnetic morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) was first discovered in Laves-phase magnetoelastic system Tb–Dy–Co alloys (PRL 104, 197201 (2010)). However, the composition-dependent and temperature-dependent magnetostrictive behavior for this system, which is crucial to both practical application and the understanding of transitions across the MPB, is still lacking. In this work, the composition-dependence and temperature-dependence of magnetostriction for Tb1−xDyxCo1.95 (x = 0.3~0.8) are presented. In a ferrimagnetic state (as selected 100 K in the present work), the near-MPB compositions x = 0.6 and 0.7, exhibit the largest saturation magnetization MS and the lowest coercive field HC; by contrast, the off-MPB composition x = 0.5, exhibits the largest magnetostriction, the lowest MS, and the largest HC. Besides, a sign change of magnetostriction is observed, which occurs with the magnetic transition across the MPB. Our results suggest the combining effect from the lattice strain induced from structure phase transition, and the influence of the MPB on magnetocrystalline anisotropy. This work may stimulate the research interests on the transition behavior around the MPB and its relationship with physical properties, and also provide guidance in designing high-performance magnetostrictive materials for practical applications.

Chemical Diversity for Tailoring Negative Thermal Expansion

Negative thermal expansion (NTE), referring to the lattice contraction upon heating, has been an attractive topic of solid-state chemistry and functional materials. The response of a lattice to the temperature field is deeply rooted in its structural features and is inseparable from the physical properties. For the past 30 years, great efforts have been made to search for NTE compounds and control NTE performance. The demands of different applications give rise to the prominent development of new NTE systems covering multifarious chemical substances and many preparation routes. Even so, the intelligent design of NTE structures and efficient tailoring for lattice thermal expansion are still challenging. However, the diverse chemical routes to synthesize target compounds with featured structures provide a large number of strategies to achieve the desirable NTE behaviors with related properties. The chemical diversity is reflected in the wide regulating scale, flexible ways of introduction, and abundant structure-function insights. It inspires the rapid growth of new functional NTE compounds and understanding of the physical origins. In this review, we provide a systematic overview of the recent progress of chemical diversity in the tailoring of NTE. The efficient control of lattice and deep structural deciphering are carefully discussed. This comprehensive summary and perspective for chemical diversity are helpful to promote the creation of functional zero-thermal-expansion (ZTE) compounds and the practical utilization of NTE.

Diversity in Crystal Structure and Physical Properties of RETX3 (RE - Rare Earth, T - Transition Metal, X - Main Group Element) Intermetallics

Rare Earth (re) based intermetallics are a fascinating class of inorganic compounds due to the presence of highly localized f-electrons. Among the ternary intermetallics, RETX₃ (RE - Rare Earth, T - Transition metals, X - 13-15th elements of the main groups) is one of the most widely studied RE-based intermetallic families in terms of diverse crystal structures as well as physical properties. This perspective presents a brief account of different structural variations observed in this family of compounds. We have also discussed structure-property correlations in selected compounds in this series that show interesting physical properties such as spin-glass behavior, superconductivity, heavy fermion behavior, Kondo behavior, etc. The origin of different physical properties of these compounds is also discussed in brief by correlating their crystal structures.

Anomalous Thermal Expansion in Ta2WO8 Oxide Semiconductor over a Wide Temperature Range

Expansion of material is one of the major impediments in the high precision instrument and engineering field. Low/zero thermal expansion compounds have drawn great attention because of their important scientific significance and enormous application value. However, the realization of low thermal expansion over a wide temperature range is still scarce. In this study, a low thermal expansion over a wide temperature range has been observed in the Ta₂WO₈ oxide semiconductor. It is a balance effect of the negative thermal expansion of the a axis and the positive thermal expansion of the b axis and the c axis to achieve low thermal expansion behavior. The results of the means of variable temperature X-ray diffraction and variable pressure Raman spectroscopy analysis indicated that the transverse vibration of bridging oxygen atoms is the driving force, which is corresponding to the low-frequency lattice modes with a negative Grüneisen parameter. The present study provides one wide band gap semiconductor Ta₂WO₈ with anomalous thermal expansion behavior.

Intrinsic volumetric negative thermal expansion in the "rigid" calcium squarate

The calcium squarate with a rigid framework is found to exhibit volumetric negative thermal expansion (NTE) with the coefficient -9.51(5) × 10^-6 K^-1 and uniaxial zero thermal expansion (ZTE, -0.14(4) × 10^-6 K^-1) over a wide temperature. Detailed comparison of the long-range and local structure sheds light on the fact that the anomalous thermal expansion originates from the transverse vibration of the bridging squarate ligand, although it has been tightly bonded by five calcium ions. We believe that this study can provide a deep insight into the origin of NTE and the structural flexibility of metal organic frameworks (MOFs).

Plastic and low-cost axial zero thermal expansion alloy by a natural dual-phase composite

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) alloys possess unique dimensional stability, high thermal and electrical conductivities. Their practical application under heat and stress is however limited by their inherent brittleness because ZTE and plasticity are generally exclusive in a single-phase material. Besides, the performance of ZTE alloys is highly sensitive to change of compositions, so conventional synthesis methods such as alloying or the design of multiphase to improve its thermal and mechanical properties are usually inapplicable. In this study, by adopting a one-step eutectic reaction method, we overcome this challenge. A natural dual-phase composite with ZTE and plasticity was synthesized by melting 4 atom% holmium with pure iron. The dual-phase alloy shows moderate plasticity and strength, axial zero thermal expansion, and stable thermal cycling performance as well as low cost. By using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, in-situ neutron diffraction and microscopy, the critical mechanism of dual-phase synergy on both thermal expansion regulation and mechanical property enhancement is revealed. These results demonstrate that eutectic reaction is likely to be a universal and effective method for the design of high-performance intermetallic-compound-based ZTE alloys.

Ultrawide Temperature Range Super-Invar Behavior of R_{2}(Fe,Co)_{17} Materials (R = Rare Earth)

Super Invar (SIV), i.e., zero thermal expansion of metallic materials underpinned by magnetic ordering, is of great practical merit for a wide range of high precision engineering. However, the relatively narrow temperature window of SIV in most materials restricts its potential applications in many critical fields. Here, we demonstrate the controlled design of thermal expansion in a family of R_{2}(Fe,Co)_{17} materials (R=rare Earth). We find that adjusting the Fe-Co content tunes the thermal expansion behavior and its optimization leads to a record-wide SIV with good cyclic stability from 3-461 K, almost twice the range of currently known SIV. In situ neutron diffraction, Mössbauer spectra and first-principles calculations reveal the 3d bonding state transition of the Fe-sublattice favors extra lattice stress upon magnetic ordering. On the other hand, Co content induces a dramatic enhancement of the internal molecular field, which can be manipulated to achieve "ultrawide" SIV over broad temperature, composition and magnetic field windows. These findings pave the way for exploiting thermal-expansion-control engineering and related functional materials.

Zero Thermal Expansion and Strong Covalent Binding of VB2 Compound

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) is an intriguing phenomenon by virtue of its peculiar lack of expansion and contraction with temperature. The achievement of ZTE in a metallic material is a desired but challenging task. Here we report the ZTE behavior of a single-phase metallic VB₂ compound, stacking with the V and B atomic layers along the c direction (α_V = 2.18 × 10^-6 K^-1, 5-150 K). Neutron powder diffraction demonstrates that the ZTE behavior is entangled in the direct blocking of the lattice expansion along all crystallographic directions with temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations indicate that strong covalent binding adheres the nearest-neighbor B-B and V-B pairs, which is proposed to control the ZTE within both the basal plane and the c direction. An intimate correlation is revealed between the covalent binding and the lattice parameters. Our work indicates the opportunity to design metallic ZTE with strong chemical binding in the future.

Chemical-Pressure-Modulated BaTiO3 Thin Films with Large Spontaneous Polarization and High Curie Temperature

Although BaTiO₃ is one of the most famous lead-free piezomaterials, it suffers from small spontaneous and low Curie temperature. Chemical pressure, as a mild way to modulate the structures and properties of materials by element doping, has been utilized to enhance the ferroelectricity of BaTiO₃ but is not efficient enough. Here, we report a promoted chemical pressure route to prepare high-performance BaTiO₃ films, achieving the highest remanent polarization, P_r (100 μC/cm²), to date and high Curie temperature, T_c (above 1000 °C). The negative chemical pressure (∼-5.7 GPa) was imposed by the coherent lattice strain from large cubic BaO to small tetragonal BaTiO₃, generating high tetragonality (c/a = 1.12) and facilitating large displacements of Ti. Such negative pressure is especially significant to the bonding states, i.e., hybridization of Ba 5p-O 2p, whereas ionic bonding in bulk and strong bonding of Ti e_g and O 2p, which contribute to the tremendously enhanced polarization. The promoted chemical pressure method shows general potential in improving ferroelectric and other functional materials.

Argentophilicity induced anomalous thermal expansion behavior in a 2D silver squarate

A 2D bilayer coordination polymer has been found to exhibit colossal interlayer PTE and in-plane NTE owing to argentophilic interactions.

Achieving High Performances of Ultra-Low Thermal Expansion and High Thermal Conductivity in 0.5PbTiO3-0.5(Bi0.9La0.1)FeO3@Cu Core-Shell Composite

Achieving high performances of ultra-low thermal expansion (ULTE) and high thermal conductivity remains challenging, due to the strong phonon/electron-lattice coupling in ULTE materials. In this study, the challenge has been solved via the construction of the core-shell structure in 0.5PbTiO₃-0.5(Bi_0.9La_0.1)FeO₃@Cu composites by the electroless plating, which can simultaneously combine the advantages of the negative thermal expansion material of 0.5PbTiO₃-0.5(Bi_0.9La_0.1)FeO₃ in controlling thermal expansion, and copper metal in high thermal conductivity. By changing the volume fraction of copper, the coefficient of thermal expansion of composites can be adjusted continuously from positive to negative. In particular, a ULTE (ΔT = 400 K) has been achieved in the composite of 35 vol % Cu. Intriguingly, a 3D thermal conductive network copper structure is formed for thermal conducting, which can double the thermal conductivity of the 35 vol % Cu composite from the methods by the traditional mixing (32 W·m^-1·K^-1) up to the core-shell structure (60 W·m^-1·K^-1). The present work not only provides a composite material with excellent comprehensive properties but also proposes a general chemical method to resolve the problem of low thermal conductivity in most ULTE materials.

Magnetic structure and uniaxial negative thermal expansion in antiferromagnetic CrSb

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) has been found in a growing number of ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials; however, it remains a challenge to discover antiferromagnetic (AFM) NTE materials. Here, we report the uniaxial NTE properties of AFM intermetallic CrSb systematically, and reveal its uniaxial NTE mechanism for the first time. The present AFM intermetallic CrSb shows uniaxial NTE at high temperature and over a broad temperature window (αa = -6.55 × 10-6 K-1, 360-600 K). The direct experimental evidence of neutron powder diffraction reveals that NTE is induced by the AFM ordering of the Cr atom. The present study demonstrates that due to the transition from an AFM ordered structure to a paramagnetic disordered configuration, the negative contribution to the thermal expansion from the magnetovolume effect overwhelms the positive contribution from anharmonic phonon vibration. This study is of interest to find antiferromagnetic NTE materials.

Zero Thermal Expansion in Ta2Mo2O11 by Compensation Effects

Although zero thermal expansion (ZTE) materials have broad application prospects for high precision engineering, they are rare. Here, a new ZTE material, Ta₂Mo₂O₁₁ (α_l = 0.37 × 10^-6 K^-1, 200-600 K), is reported. A joint study of high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction, temperature- and pressure-dependent Raman spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations was performed to investigate the structure and dynamics of Ta₂Mo₂O₁₁ with the aim of understanding its ZTE mechanism. Ta₂Mo₂O₁₁ displays a layered structure, stacking along the [001] direction. Analysis of the phonon modes indicates that positive and negative contributions to thermal expansion are balanced, and a shrinkage occurs along the layers, while the interlayer distance expands with increasing temperature, thus giving rise to the ZTE behavior of Ta₂Mo₂O₁₁. The present study provides a promising ZTE material and new insights into the mechanisms of thermal expansion.

Intrinsic Isotropic Near-Zero Thermal Expansion in Zn4B6O12X (X = O, S, Se)

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) materials, keeping size constant as temperature varies, are valuable for resisting the deterioration of the performance from environmental temperature fluctuation, but they are rarely discovered due to the counterintuitive temperature-size effect. Herein, we demonstrate that a family of borates with sodalite cage structure, Zn₄B₆O₁₂X (X = O, S, Se), exhibits intrinsic isotropic near-ZTE behaviors from 5 to 300 K. The very low thermal expansion is mainly owing to the coupling rotation of [BO₄] rigid groups constrained by the bonds between Zn and cage-edged O atoms, while the central atoms in the cage have a negligible contribution. Our study has significant implications on the understanding of the ZTE mechanism and exploration of new ZTE materials.

Room Temperature Zero Thermal Expansion in a Cubic Cobaltite

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) materials are highly desired in modern industries where high-precision processing is necessary. However, ZTE materials in pure form are extremely rare. The most widely used are Invar alloys, where the ZTE is intimately associated with spontaneous magnetic ordering, known as the magnetovolume effect (MVE). Despite tremendous studies, there is still no consensus on the microscopic origin of MVE in Invar alloys. Here, we report the discovery of room-temperature isotropic ZTE in a pure-form cobaltite perovskite, A-site disordered La_0.5Ba_0.5CoO_3-x. The temperature window of the anomalous thermal expansion shows large tunability by simply altering the oxygen content, making this material a promising candidate for practical applications. Furthermore, we unveil with compelling experimental evidence that the ZTE originates from an isostructural transition between antiferromagnetic large-volume phase and ferromagnetic small-volume phase, which might shed light on the MVE in Invar alloys.

Large Linear Negative Thermal Expansion in NiAs-type Magnetic Intermetallic Cr-Te-Se Compounds

A large linear negative thermal expansion (NTE) and expanded NTE temperature range (ΔT_NTE) were obtained in magnetoelastic CrTe_1-xSe_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) compounds. For CrTe compound, its thermal expansion coefficient of volume (α_V) was calculated to be -28.8 ppm K^-1 with the temperature ranging from 280 to 340 K. Substituting Te with Se atoms, the NTE behavior and magnetic properties can be well manipulated. With increasing Se in CrTe_1-xSe_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) compounds, the ΔT_NTE increases from 60 K (280-340 K for x = 0), to 80 K (240-320 K for x = 0.05), to 95 K (200-295 K for x = 0.1), and finally to 100 K (170-270 K for x = 0.15). Furthermore, a linear NTE remains independent of temperature for samples with x ≤ 0.1. The relationship between tunable NTE and magnetic properties was analyzed in detail, indicating that the NTE in CrTe_1-xSe_x compounds originates from the magnetovolume effect (MVE).

Manipulating Spin Alignments of (Y,Lu)1.7Fe17 Intermetallic Compounds via Unusual Thermal Pressure

External pressure has been successfully employed to achieve desirable spin alignments in the field of materials science but is seriously restricted by the difficulty of reaching high pressure with conventional methods. The search for simple and effective ways to apply pressure on the lattice is challenging but intriguing. Here we report a new strategy to manipulate the spin alignments of (Y,Lu)_1.7Fe₁₇ intermetallic compounds through unusual thermal pressure. The spin alignments of Fe initially lie parallel inside the basal plane and then turn spirally between adjacent layers with a zone axis along the c direction under higher Lu concentration. The synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction investigations clearly reveal that the direction of spin alignments is highly correlated to large lattice contraction induced by negative thermal expansion (NTE), an unusual thermal pressure, along the c direction. The critical lattice parameter c to form spiral spin alignments is determined unambiguously. This work presents a feasible way to adjust spin alignments through NTE, which might be conducive to the future design of particular spin alignments instead of physical pressure for functional magnetic materials.

Transforming Thermal Expansion from Positive to Negative: The Case of Cubic Magnetic Compounds of (Zr,Nb)Fe2

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an intriguing property for not only fundamental studies but also technological applications. However, few NTE materials are available compared with the huge amount of positive thermal expansion materials. The discovery of new NTE materials remains challenging. Here we report a chemical modification strategy to transform thermal expansion from positive to negative in cubic magnetic compounds of (Zr,Nb)Fe₂ by tuning the magnetic exchange interaction. Furthermore, an isotropic zero thermal expansion can be established in Zr_0.8Nb_0.2Fe₂ (α_l = 1.4 × 10^-6 K^-1, 3-470 K) over a broad temperature range that is even wider than that of the prototype Invar alloy of Fe_0.64Ni_0.36. The NTE of (Zr,Nb)Fe₂ is originated from the weakened magnetic exchange interaction and the increased d electrons of Fe by the Nb chemical substitution, so that the magnetovolume effect overwhelms the contribution of anharmonic lattice vibration.

Accordion and layer-sliding motion to produce anomalous thermal expansion behaviour in 2D-coordination polymers

Solvent-free (1) and solvated (2) 2D-coordination polymers have been synthesised by varying the amount of solvent during crystallisation. 1 undergoes a unique accordion motion of 2D zig-zag interwoven layers whereas 2 experiences layer-sliding within 2D layers to produce anomalous thermal expansion behaviour.

Neutron Diffraction Study of Unusual Magnetic Behaviors in the Ho2Fe11Al6 Intermetallic Compound

Knowledge of structure-property relationships is fundamental but significant in the exploitation of magnetic materials. Here we report that the high Al substitution for Fe transformed the crystal structure from a hexagonal Ho₂Fe₁₇ compound to a rhombohedral Ho₂Fe₁₁Al₆ compound. Intriguingly, the latter shows unusual evolution of magnetization around 86 and 220 K compared with the former. Integrated investigations of the detailed structure analysis and magnetic performance on the Ho₂Fe₁₁Al₆ compound demonstrate that the Ho₂Fe₁₁Al₆ compound possesses a stable rhombohedral structure (R3̅m) from 5 to 430 K with preferred occupation of Al atoms and ferrimagnetic structure in which the magnetic moments of Ho and Fe lie antiparallel in the basal plane below the Curie temperature. The results of the temperature dependence of moments reveal that the disparate rates of change of the moments for Ho and Fe sublattices give rise to unusual evolution of magnetization around 86 and 220 K and then turn to paramagnetic above 280 K. This work provides clear structure and magnetization information on the Ho₂Fe₁₁Al₆ compound, which may be beneficial to guiding the future development of magnetic materials.

On the Origin of the Negative Thermal Expansion Behavior of YCu

Among the intermetallics and alloys, YCu is an unusual material because it displays negative thermal expansion without spin ordering. The mechanism behind this behavior that is caused by the structural phase transition of YCu has yet to be fully understood. To gain insight into this mechanism, we experimentally examined the crystal structure of the low-temperature phase of YCu and discuss the origin of the phase transition with the aid of thermodynamics calculations. The result shows that the high-temperature (cubic CsCl-type) to low-temperature (orthorhombic FeB-type) structural phase transition is driven by the rearrangement of three covalent bonds, namely, Y-Cu, Y-Y, and Cu-Cu, which compete for the bonding energy and phonon entropy. At low temperatures, the mixing of Y and Cu does not take place easily because of the weak attractive force between these atoms expected from the small negative mixing enthalpy. This causes all three interactions to take part in the bonding, and Y and Cu are segregated to form an FeB-type structure, which is stabilized by internal energy. At higher temperatures, Cu ions are bound loosely with Y ions due to the large Y-Cu distance (3.01 Å), which results in large vibration entropy and stabilizes a CsCl-type crystal structure. In addition, the CsCl-type structure is reinforced by the Y-Y interaction between next-nearest neighbors, resulting in a smaller unit cell volume. The crystal structure has the simple cubic framework of Y containing Cu ions bound loosely at the cavity sites. The calculated frequency of the Y-like phonon modes is much higher than that of the Cu-like modes, indicating the presence of Y-Y covalent interactions in the CsCl-type phase.

Negative Thermal Expansion of Ni-Doped MnCoGe at Room-Temperature Magnetic Tuning

Compounds that exhibit the unique behavior of negative thermal expansion (NTE)-the physical property of contraction of the lattice parameters on warming-can be applied widely in modern technologies. Consequently, the search for and design of an NTE material with operational and controllable qualities at room temperature are important topics in both physics and materials science. In this work, we demonstrate a new route to achieve magnetic manipulation of a giant NTE in (Mn_0.95Ni_0.05)CoGe via strong magnetostructural (MS) coupling around room temperature (∼275 to ∼345 K). The MS coupling is realized through the weak bonding between the nonmagnetic CoGe-network and the magnetic Mn-sublattice. Application of a magnetic field changes the NTE in (Mn_0.95Ni_0.05)CoGe significantly: in particular, a change of Δ L/ L along the a axis of absolute value 15290(60) × 10^-6-equivalent to a -31% reduction in NTE-is obtained at 295 K in response to a magnetic field of 8 T.

Negative Thermal Expansion in (Hf,Ti)Fe2 Induced by the Ferromagnetic and Antiferromagnetic Phase Coexistence

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an intriguing physical phenomenon that can be used in the applications of thermal expansion adjustment of materials. In this study, we report a NTE compound of (Hf,Ti)Fe₂, while both end members of HfFe₂ and TiFe₂ show positive thermal expansion. The results reveal that phase coexistence is detected in the whole NTE zone, in which one phase is ferromagnetic (FM), while the other is antiferromagnetic (AFM). With increasing temperature, the FM phase is gradually transformed to the AFM one. The NTE phenomenon occurs in the present (Hf,Ti)Fe₂ because of the fact that the unit cell volume of the AFM phase is smaller than that of the FM phase, and the mass fraction of the AFM phase increases with increasing temperature. The construction of phase coexistence can be a method to achieve NTE materials in future studies.

Adjustable Magnetic Phase Transition Inducing Unusual Zero Thermal Expansion in Cubic RCo2-Based Intermetallic Compounds (R = Rare Earth)

Metallic materials that exhibit negligible thermal expansion or zero thermal expansion (ZTE) have great merit for practical applications, but these materials are rare and their thermal expansions are difficult to control. Here, we successfully tailored the thermal expansion behaviors from strongly but abruptly negative to zero over wide temperature ranges in a series of (Gd,R)(Co,Fe)₂ (R = Dy, Ho, Er) intermetallic compounds by tuning the composition to bring the first-order magnetic phase transition to second-order. Interestingly, an unusual isotropic ZTE property with a coefficient of thermal expansion of α _l = 0.16(0) × 10^-6 K^-1 was achieved in cubic Gd_0.25Dy_0.75Co_1.93Fe_0.07 (GDCF) in the temperature range of 10-275 K. The short-wavelength neutron powder diffraction, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and magnetic measurement studies evidence that this ZTE behavior was ascribed to the rare-earth-moment-dominated spontaneous volume magnetostriction, which can be controlled by an adjustable magnetic phase transition. The present work extends the scope of the ZTE family and provides an effective approach to exploring ZTE materials, such as by adjusting the magnetism or ferroelectricity-related phase transition in the family of functional materials.

Li4Na2CsB7O14: a new edge-sharing [BO4]5− tetrahedra containing borate with high anisotropic thermal expansion

Li₄Na₂CsB₇O₁₄, a new edge-sharing [BO₄]⁵⁻ tetrahedra containing borate with high anisotropic thermal expansion, was obtained under the atmospheric pressure conditions.

Controllable thermal expansion and magnetic structure in Er2(Fe,Co)14B intermetallic compounds

Tunable thermal expansion from negative, to zero, to positive with a wide temperature range in Er₂(Fe,Co)₁₄B intermetallic compounds.

Negative thermal expansion in cubic FeFe(CN)6 Prussian blue analogues

A new isotropic negative thermal expansion compound of FeFe(CN)₆ has been found, in which the transverse vibrations of N atoms dominate in its NTE behavior.

Tunable Thermal Expansion from Negative, Zero, to Positive in Cubic Prussian Blue Analogues of GaFe(CN)6

The achievement of controlling thermal expansion is important for open-framework structures. The present work proposes a feasible way to adjust the coefficient of thermal expansion continuously from negative to positive via inserting guest Na⁺ ions or H₂O molecules into a GaFe(CN)₆ framework. The guest ions or molecules have an intense dampening effect on the transverse vibrations of CN atoms in the -Ga-N≡C-Fe- linkage, especially for the N atoms. This study demonstrates that electrochemical or redox intercalation of guest ions will be an effective way to tune thermal expansion in those negative thermal expansion open-framework materials induced by low-frequency phonons.

Negative Thermal Expansion in the Materials With Giant Magnetocaloric Effect

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) behaviors in the materials with giant magnetocaloric effects (MCE) have been reviewed. Attentions are mainly focused on the hexagonal Ni2In-type MM'X compounds. Other MCE materials, such as La(Fe,Si)13, RCo2, and antiperovskite compounds are also simply introduced. The novel MCE and phase-transition-type NTE materials have similar physics origin though the applications are distinct. Spin-lattice coupling plays a key role for the both effect of NTE and giant MCE. Most of the giant MCE materials show abnormal lattice expansion owing to magnetic interactions, which provides a natural platform for exploring NTE materials. We anticipate that the present review can help finding more ways to regulate phase transition and dig novel NTE materials.