Mixed oxides of sodium, antimony (5+) and divalent metals (Ni, Co, Zn or Mg)

A family of α-NaFeO₂-type oxides Na_xM_(1+x)/3Sb_(2−x)/3O₂ (M=Ni, Co, Zn, Mg; x≈0.8 or 0.9) has been prepared by solid state reactions and characterized by powder XRD. At x=1, ordering occurs with tripling the unit cells and formula units. The powder patterns for Na₃M₂SbO₆ (M=Ni, Co) comply with both trigonal P3₁12 cell and monoclinic C2/m cell. The Ni compound exhibits also a series of extremely weak reflections (I<0.3%) that need doubling of the c axis, and the final cell is C2/c, a=5.3048(3), b=9.1879(4), c=10.8356(7), β=99.390(5). These ambiguities are explained by stacking faults. The compounds absorb atmospheric moisture with c-axis expansion up to 29%. A delafossite-related superlattice Ag₃Co₂SbO₆ has been prepared by ion exchange and refined: P3₁12, a=5.3842(2), c=18.6613(10). Ionic conductivity of the Na_0.8Ni_0.6Sb_0.4O₂ ceramics, 0.4 S/m at 300 °C, is greater than reported previously, presumably owing to the grain orientation produced by hot pressing.