Structural change in a series of protonated layered perovskite compounds, HLnTiO4 (Ln=La, Nd and Y)

A deuterated n=1 Ruddlesden-Popper compound, DLnTiO₄ (HLnTiO₄, Ln=La, Nd and Y), was prepared by an ion-exchange reaction of Na⁺ ions in NaLnTiO₄ with D⁺ ions, and its structure was analyzed by Rietveld method using powder neutron diffraction data. The structure analyses showed that DLaTiO₄ and DNdTiO₄ crystallized in the space group P4/nmm with a=3.7232(1) and c=12.3088(1) Å, and a=3.7039(1) and c=12.0883(1) Å, respectively. On the other hand, DYTiO₄ crystallized in the space group P2₁/c with a=11.460(1), b=5.2920(4), c=5.3628(5) Å and β=90.441(9)°. The loaded protons were found to statistically occupy the sites around an apical oxygen of TiO₆ octahedron in the interlayer of these compounds, rather than Na atom sites in NaLnTiO₄.