Synthesis and properties of Sr₂La₂NiW₂O₁₂, a new <i>S</i> = 1 triangular lattice magnet

Magnetic materials featuring triangular arrangements of spins are frequently investigated as platforms hosting magnetic frustration. Hexagonal perovskites with ordered vacancies serve as excellent candidates for two-dimensional triangular magnetism due to the considerable separation of the magnetic planes. In this work, the effects of chemical pressure on the ferromagnetic ground state of Ba₂La₂NiW₂O₁₂ by substitution of Ba²⁺ with Sr²⁺ to produce Sr₂La₂NiW₂O₁₂ are investigated. The two materials are characterized using synchrotron-based XRD, XANES and EXAFS in addition to magnetometry in order to correlate their crystal structures and magnetic properties. Both materials form in space group R3, yet as a result of the enhanced bending of key bond angles due to the effects of chemical pressure, the T_C value of the magnetic Ni²⁺ sublattice is reduced from ∼6 K in Ba₂La₂NiW₂O₁₂ to 4 K in Sr₂La₂NiW₂O₁₂.