Topochemical synthesis of cation ordered double perovskite oxynitrides.

Topochemical nitridation in ammonia at moderate temperatures of cation ordered Sr2FeWO6 produces new antiferromagnetic double perovskite oxynitrides Sr2FeWO6-xNx with 0 < x <= 1. Nitrogen introduction induces the oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ and decreases T-N from 38 K (x = 0) to 13 K for Sr2FeWO5N which represents the first example of a double perovskite oxynitride with both high cationic order and nitrogen content. This synthetic approach can be extended to other cation combinations expanding the possibility of new materials in the large group of double perovskites.