ИСТИНА

The current trend towards the creation of novel functional materials is the design of inorganic compounds based on actual knowledge of the crystal structures of minerals formed in natural conditions. This design is based on the fundamental principles of solid state chemistry and physics [1] and takes into account data on the conditions of formation and transformation of minerals in the Earth's crust, mineral associations and isomorphic capacity. Typically, the aforementioned approach is divided into two steps. The first of them involves X-ray diffraction studies of the crystal structures of minerals, which allows us to predict their unique physical properties, in particular non classical magnetic behavior. The second stage is the synthesis of mineral–like phases in the laboratory and their targeted modification using chemical substitutions and/or texturing of particle surface. This work presents the results of synthesis, crystal chemistry and physical property investigations of a number of mineral-like phases with transition metal cations. Among them are a synthetic analog of namibite, Cu(BiO2)VO4OH; ellenbergerite-like phosphates: Na2−xCo6(OH)3[HPO4][Hx/3PO4]3, Na0.55Ni6(OH)3(H0.61PO4)4, (Na,Ni)0.64Ni5.68(OH)3(H0.67PO4)4; structurally related Na6Cu6CuBiO4(PO4)4(Cl2OH) and Na3Cu6BiO4(SO4)5 oxosalts, which are synthetic analogues of fumarolic minerals. All compounds exhibit low-dimensional magnetic properties.