Crystal growth and magnetic properties of alpha-CuV2O6

For crystal growth of the thermally unstable compound CuV2O6 a V2O5-(KSO4)- S-2 melt was used as a solvent. The phase relationships in the V2O5-K2SO4 a nd CuV2O5-K2SO4 systems were investigated and the phase diagram determined. Based on these diagrams CuV2O6 single crystals with dimensions up to 3 x 2 x 0.5 mm(3) were grown by slow cooling of the solution. The main problem i s a creep of the melt over the crucible walls. The magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat were measured on the grown crystals in the temperatur e range 2-400 K. The data indicate a low concentration of paramagnetic defe cts in the crystals. The measurements confirm that CuV2O6 should be treated rather as an anisotropic three-dimensional magnetic system than as a one-d imensional magnetic system. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.