Pressure tuning of charge ordering in iron oxide

A Verwey-type charge-ordering transition in magnetite at 120 K leads to the formation of linear units of three iron ions with one shared electron, called trimerons. The recently-discovered iron pentoxide (Fe4O5) comprising mixed-valent iron cations at octahedral chains, demonstrates another unusual charge-ordering transition at 150 K involving competing formation of iron trimerons and dimerons.

Here, we experimentally show that applied pressure can tune the charge-ordering pattern in Fe4O5 and strongly affect the ordering temperature. We report two charge-ordered phases, the first of which may comprise both dimeron and trimeron units, whereas, the second exhibits an overall dimerization involving both the octahedral and trigonal-prismatic chains of iron in the crystal structure.

We link the dramatic change in the charge-ordering pattern in the second phase to redistribution of electrons between the octahedral and prismatic iron chains, and propose that the average oxidation state of the iron cations can pre-determine a charge-ordering pattern.