A new material with alternating metal-oxide and metal-phosphide layers: barium manganese phosphate (Ba2Mn3P2O2)

With the discovery of high-temperature superconductors, there is a renewed interest in complex layered metal-oxide compounds. In addition, there is a significant amount of interest in two-dimensional compounds due to their anisotropic physical properties. The authors interest in the synthesis and properties of ternary transition-metal pnictide compounds prompted their investigation of the synthesis and characterization of the novel layered oxide-pnictide compounds: A[sub 2]Mn[sub 3]X[sub 2]O[sub 2] (A = Sr, Ba; X = As, Sb, Bi). Although the single-crystal structure of these compounds has been reported, no other physical characterizations have been performed. They have successfully modified the reaction procedure to produce pure materials for physical property measurements. In addition, the new compound Ba[sub 2]Mn[sub 3]P[sub 2]O[sub 2] has been synthesized in high yield. This new compound is isostructural with the heavier group 15 (group VA) element analogues and has a unique two-dimensional structure with alternating metal-oxide and metal-phosphide layers separated by alkaline-earth-metal cations. This is one of the few examples of a solid-state compound that contains both oxygen and phosphorus atoms without direct bonding between them.