Complex magnetic order from multiple Ce-sites in Ce3Pd4Sn6

Polycrystalline [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] samples were synthesized by arc-melting and subsequent annealing at 970 K. Specific heat, electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements are performed over a wide range in temperature and provide hints for the presence of a complex magnetic ordering below 3 K arising from three crystallographically independent Ce sites. This behaviour is driven by a complex interplay between ferro-, ferri-, and antiferromagnetic correlations among the Ce atoms.

A ZrNiAl related high-pressure modification of CeRuSn

Monoclinic CeRuSn with its own structure type transforms to a high-pressure modification at 11.5 GPa and 1470 K (1000 t press, Walker type module). The structure of the high-pressure phase was refined from X-ray single crystal diffractometer data at room temperature. The HP-CeRuSn subcell structure adopts the ZrNiAl type: P6[combining macron]2m, a = 751.4(3) and c = 394.6(2) pm, wR2 = 0.0787, 310 F(2) values and 15 variables. The Ru2 atoms within the Sn6 trigonal prisms show a strongly enhanced U33 parameter. Weak satellite reflections indicate a commensurate modulation: (3 + 1)D superspace group P31m(1/3,1/3,γ)000, a = 751.4(3) and c = 394.6(2) pm, γ = -1/3, wR2 = 0.0786, 1584 F(2) values, 32 variables for the main reflections and wR2 = 0.3757 for the satellites of 1(st) order. A description of this new superstructure variant of the ZrNiAl type is possible in a transformed 3D supercell with the space group R3m and Z = 9. The driving force for formation of the modulation is strengthening of Ru-Sn bonding within the comparatively large Ru@Sn6 trigonal prisms. Electronic structure calculations point to an almost depleted Ce 4f shell. This is substantiated by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility data. Fitting of the data within the interconfiguration fluctuation model (ICF) resulted in cerium valences of 3.41 at 10 K and 3.31 at 350 K. Temperature dependent specific heat data underline the absence of magnetic ordering.

High-pressure high-temperature decomposition of CeCoGa to the Laves phases CeCo0.58Ga1.42, CeCo0.72Ga1.28, and CeCo2

The monoclinic intermediate-valent gallide CeCoGa decomposes under high-pressure (HP) (9.5 GPa) high-temperature (HT) (1470 K) conditions into the Laves phases CeCo0.58Ga1.42 (MgCu2 type), CeCo0.72Ga1.28 (MgZn2 type; major product phase), and CeCo2 (MgCu2 type). The structures of the ternary Laves phases were refined from single crystal X-ray diffractometer data: Fd3̅m, a=778.3(1) pm, wR2=0.0310, 63 F 2 values, five variables for CeCo0.58(3)Ga1.42(3) and P63/mmc, a=547.24(5), c=858.76(7) pm, wR2=0.1009, 195 F 2 values, 13 variables for CeCo0.72(1)Ga1.28(1). Partial substitution of cobalt by gallium leads to a significant increase of the distances within the tetrahedral network: 253 pm Co–Co in CeCo2 as compared to 275 pm in CeCo0.58(3)Ga1.42(3) and 265–277 pm in CeCo0.72(1)Ga1.28(1). The crystal chemical consequences are briefly discussed.

Cerium intermetallics with TiNiSi-type structure

Intermetallic compounds with the equiatomic composition CeTX that crystallize with the orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure can be synthesized with electron-rich transition metals (T) and X = Zn, Al, Ga, Si, Ge, Sn, As, Sb, and Bi. The present review focusses on the crystal chemistry and chemical bonding of these CeTX phases and on their physical properties, 119Sn and 121Sb Mössbauer spectra, high-pressure effects, hydrogenation reactions and the formation of solid solutions in order to elucidate structure–property relationships. This paper is the final one of a series of four reviews on equiatomic intermetallic cerium compounds [Part I: Z. Naturforsch. 2015, 70b, 289; Part II: Z. Naturforsch. 2015, 70b, 695; Part III: Z. Naturforsch. 2016, 71b, 165].

Ce4Ag3Ge4O(0.5)--chains of oxygen-centered [OCe2Ce(2/2)] tetrahedra embedded in a [CeAg3Ge4] intermetallic matrix

The oxidation of an intermetallic phase under high-pressure/high-temperature conditions led to the synthesis of Ce4Ag3Ge4O(0.5) exhibiting [OCe2Ce(2/2] tetrahedral chains, in which the oxygen atoms statistically occupy the tetrahedral centres. Starting from a 1:1:1 CeAgGe precursor (NdPtSb type), a multianvil high-pressure/high-temperature experiment at 11.5 GPa and 1250-1300 °C revealed Ce4Ag3Ge4O(0.5), crystallizing in the space group Pnma with the following lattice parameters: a = 2087.3(4), b = 439.9(1), and c = 1113.8(2) pm. Magnetic measurements showed Curie-Weiss behavior above 100 K with an experimental magnetic moment of 2.42 µB per Ce atom, close to the value for the free Ce(3+) ion, clearly indicating trivalent cerium in Ce4Ag3Ge4O(0.5). Full potential GGA+U band structure calculations resulted in metallic properties and a magnetic ground state with one unpaired 4f-electron per cerium in agreement with the experiments.

New high temperature modification of CeTiGe: structural characterization and physical properties

The new high temperature form (HT) of the ternary germanide CeTiGe was prepared by annealing at 1373 K. The investigation of HT-CeTiGe by x-ray powder diffraction shows that the compound crystallizes in the tetragonal CeScSi type structure (space group I4/mmm; a=414.95(2) and c=1590.85(10) pm as unit cell parameters). Electrical resistivity, thermoelectric power, magnetization and specific heat measurements performed down to 2 K on HT-CeTiGe reveal a non-magnetic strongly correlated electron system; the specific heat divided by temperature attains a value of 0.635 J mol(-1) K(-2) at 2 K. The comparison of the physical properties of the two crystallographic modifications of CeTiGe suggests a decrease of the hybridization J(cf) between 4f(Ce) and conduction electrons in the sequence LT-CeTiGe [Formula: see text]-CeTiGe (CeScSi type).