Gd(OH)F2: A Promising Cryogenic Magnetic Refrigerant

Qiaofei Xu; Boliang Liu; Mingyu Ye; Guilin Zhuang; Lasheng Long; Lansun Zheng

doi:10.1021/jacs.2c04840

Gd(OH)F₂: A Promising Cryogenic Magnetic Refrigerant

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Aug 3;144(30):13787-13793. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c04840. Epub 2022 Jul 21.

Authors

Qiaofei Xu¹, Boliang Liu¹, Mingyu Ye¹, Guilin Zhuang², Lasheng Long¹, Lansun Zheng¹

Affiliations

¹ Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Department of Chemistry College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
² College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou 310032, Zhejiang Province, China.

PMID: 35860923
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c04840

Abstract

Magnetic refrigerants with a large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in a wide temperature range and low magnetic ordering temperature (T_o) in the sub-kelvin temperature region are not only crucial for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration but also open up a broader parameter space for the optimal design of adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators. However, such magnetic refrigerants are extremely rare because they require magnetic materials to simultaneously satisfy three conditions: low T_o, weak magnetic interaction, and high magnetic density. Here, we report the syntheses, heat capacities, and magnetic properties of Gd(OH)_3-xF_x (1: x = 1, 2: x ≈ 1.5, and 3: x = 2), demonstrating for the first time that the introduction of fluoride anions into antiferromagnetic Gd(OH)₃ can effectively regulate its T_o. Significantly, 3 not only has a T_o of 0.5 K but also exhibits a large MCE in the temperature range from 0.5 to 4 K, representing the best magnetic refrigerant reported to date in the temperature range of 0.5-4 K from the viewpoint of the MCE.