Electrical and magnetic properties of spinel solid solutions Mg2-xTi1+xO4; 0<=x<=1

Spinel solid solutions of composition Mg2-xTi1+xO4 have been prepared and investigated in the range 0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1. With increasing titanium content, the lattice parameter of the cubic unit cell increases from a = 844.00(3) pm to a maximum value of 850.66(5) pm. Simultaneously, electrical properties evolve from insulating to low resistive semiconducting behavior. The resistivity of samples with compositions x less than or equal to 0.68 is thermally activated with activation energies above 70 meV. The magnetic properties of the solid solutions are mainly determined by a temperature dependent magnetic moment of Ti3+ in an octahedral crystal field. Reports about high-T-c, superconductivity in the solid solution series cannot be confirmed. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.