Issue 18, 2021

Review on quasi-2D square planar nickelates

Abstract

In strongly correlated materials, lattice, charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom interact with each other, leading to emergent physical properties such as superconductivity, colossal magnetic resistance and metal–insulator transition. Quasi-2D square planar nickelates, Rn+1NinO2n+2 (R = rare earth, n = 2, 3…∞), are of significant interest and long sought for cuprate analogues due to the 3d9 electronic configuration of Ni+, the same as the active ion Cu2+ in the high-Tc superconducting cuprates. The field has attracted intense attention since 2019 due to the discovery of superconductivity in thin films of Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2, although no superconductivity has been reported in bulk polycrystalline powders. Herein, we review the synthesis of polycrystalline powders of quasi-2D square planar nickelates through topotactic reduction of parent compounds that are synthesized via solid state reaction, precursor method, high pressure floating zone method and high-pressure flux method. We emphasize single crystal preparation using the high-pressure floating zone techniques. We discuss their crystal structure and physical properties including resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity. We highlight the cuprate-like physics, including charge/spin stripes and large orbital polarization, identified in single crystals of R4Ni3O8 (R = La and Pr) combining synchrotron X-ray/neutron single crystal diffraction and density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, the challenges and possible research directions of this fast-moving field in the future are briefly discussed.

Graphical abstract: Review on quasi-2D square planar nickelates

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
29 Dec. 2020
Accepted
31 Marts 2021
First published
07 Apr. 2021

CrystEngComm, 2021,23, 3249-3264

Review on quasi-2D square planar nickelates

J. Zhang and X. Tao, CrystEngComm, 2021, 23, 3249 DOI: 10.1039/D0CE01880E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements