Polycrystalline samples of hexagonal P63
cm (space group No. 185) Dy1–x
Y
x
MnO3+δ were synthesized over complete solubility ranges under reducing conditions with oxygen partial pressures of 5 ppm to air at high temperatures (1200–1400 °C). All samples displayed unusually large, reversible oxygen content excess (0 ≤ δ ≤ 0.35) at low temperatures of ∼200–400 °C under air and oxygen atmospheres in thermogravimetric measurements. During heating, stoichiometric samples showed rapid uptakes of oxygen at 200–300 °C and equally fast releases of oxygen at 275–375 °C when materials transformed back to the stoichiometric P63
cm phase. Upon slow cooling from the stoichiometric P63
cm phase, all samples displayed rapid uptakes of oxygen at 200–350 °C. Similar changes were observed as a function of oxygen partial pressure at constant temperature. Increased, reversible changes in oxygen content were also achieved by high-pressure annealings in oxygen and hydrogen reduction at 400 °C. Thermogravimetric and X-ray diffraction measurements indicate the presence of two new structural phases at δ ≈ 0.25 (Hex2) and δ ≈ 0.40 (Hex3). The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) values of the Hex2 and P63
cm phases were determined to be (8.4–11.6) × 10–6 K–1 and (2.1–5.6) × 10–6 K–1, respectively, and the chemical expansion (CE) associated with the transition between these phases was found to be (0.82–3.48) × 10–2 mol–1.