Structure and magnetic properties of RE2CuIn3 (RE=Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd)

✍ Scribed by Yuriy B. Tyvanchuk; Andrzej Szytuła; Arkadiusz Zarzycki; Ute Ch. Rodewald; Yaroslav M. Kalychak; Rainer Pöttgen

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 338 KB
• Volume: 181
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4596
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2008.08.020

✦ Synopsis

The ternary copper indides RE 2 CuIn 3 RECu 0.5 In 1.5 (RE ¼ Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd) were synthesized from the elements in sealed tantalum tubes in an induction furnace. They crystallize with the CaIn 2 -type structure, space group P6 3 /mmc, with a statistical occupancy of copper and indium on the tetrahedral substructure. These indides show homogeneity ranges RECu x In 2Àx . Single crystal structure refinements were performed for five crystals: CeCu 0.66 In 1.34 (a ¼ 479.90(7) pm, c ¼ 768.12(15) pm), PrCu 0.52 In 1.48 (a ¼ 480.23(7) pm, c ¼ 759.23(15) pm), NdCu 0.53 In 1.47 (a ¼ 477.51(7) pm, c ¼ 756.37(15) pm), SmCu 0.46 In 1.54 (a ¼ 475.31(7) pm, c ¼ 744.77(15) pm), and GdCu 0.33 In 1.67 (a ¼ 474.19(7), c ¼ 737.67(15) pm). Temperature-dependent susceptibility measurements show antiferromagnetic ordering at T N ¼ 4.7 K for Pr 2 CuIn 3 and Nd 2 CuIn 3 and 15 K for Sm 2 CuIn 3 . Fitting of the susceptibility data of the samarium compound revealed an energy gap DE ¼ 39.7(7) K between the ground and the first excited levels.