  We present a joint experimental and computational study of the recently
synthesized spin 1/2 system silver-copper-orthovanadate AgCuVO4 [A. M\"oller
and J. Jainski, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 634, 1669 (2008)] exhibiting chains of
trans corner-sharing [CuO4] plaquettes. The static magnetic susceptibility and
specific heat measurements of AgCuVO4 can be described to a good approximation
by the Bonner-Fisher spin-chain model with J_intra ~ 330 K. Evidence for a Neel
type of order at ~ 2.5 K is obtained from the specific heat and corroborated by
ESR studies. To independently obtain a microscopically based magnetic model,
density functional electronic structure calculations were performed. In good
agreement with the experimental data, we find pronounced one-dimensional
magnetic exchange along the corner-sharing chains with small inter-chain
couplings. The difference between the experimentally observed and the
calculated ordering temperature can be assigned to a sizable inter-chain
frustration derived from the calculations.
