Pressure-induced structural evolution to a nearly perfect kagome lattice in β-Mn2(OH)3Cl nanosheets.

The frustrated magnets exhibiting kagome geometries and the investigation of their structure-property relationships have garnered substantial attention as potential candidates for quantum spin liquid (QSL). In this study, β -Mn 2 (OH) 3 Cl nanosheets with distorted kagome geometries were synthesized via a solid-state reaction, and low-temperature magnetic measurements revealed a spin-glass-like magnetic phase transition around 40 K in the frustrated β -Mn 2 (OH) 3 Cl. A pressure-induced structural phase transition was further realized by employing in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, leading to a hexagonal crystal structure with a nearly perfect kagome lattice of magnetic Mn2+ ions. High-pressure Raman and UV–vis absorption measurements indicates that the topological evolution can be attributed to the synergistic effects of pressure driven internal hydrogen bonds and the intrinsic Jahn-Teller effects. This study provides a strategy for synthesizing candidate compounds of QSL and sheds light on the mechanism underlying the topological evolution of kagome lattices under high pressure. [Display omitted] • β -Mn 2 (OH) 3 Cl nanosheets were synthesized via a solid-state reaction and exhibited spin glass behavior at low temperatures. • β -Mn 2 (OH) 3 Cl undergoes an irreversible phase transition under high pressure to form a nearly perfect kagome lattice. • The hydrogen bonding and the Jahn-Teller effect are key factors in its high-pressure structural transition of β -Mn 2 (OH) 3 Cl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]