Interplay of chemical pressure and spin degrees of freedom on the magnetic properties of the $A$Ag$_{2}M$[VO$_{4}$]$_{2}$ type of compounds

A series of layered compounds of the $A$Ag$_{2}M$[VO$_{4}$]$_{2}$ type of structures, featuring the magnetic ions on a triangular lattice, have been synthesized by solid state reactions. Studies on the interplay of i) the chemical pressure induced by the differences in cation sizes ($A^{II}$ = Sr, Ba) and ii) the spin system ($M^{II}$ = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) provide further insights into the structure-properties relationships which have been investigated by specific heat and magnetization measurements. Furthermore, spectroscopic methods have been employed to evaluate vibrational and electronic structural aspects in detail.