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Title: Quaternary Aluminum Silicides Grown in Al Flux: RE 5 Mn 4 Al 23–x Si x (RE = Ho, Er, Yb) and Er 44 Mn 55 (AlSi) 237

Journal Article · · Inorganic Chemistry
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ic401659y· OSTI ID:1395125

Four novel intermetallic silicides, RE5Mn4Al23–xSix (x = 7.9(9), RE = Ho, Er, Yb) and Er44Mn55(AlSi)237, have been prepared by reaction in aluminum flux. Three RE5Mn4Al23–xSix compounds crystallize in the tetragonal space group P4/mmm with the relatively rare Gd5Mg5Fe4Al18–xSix structure type. Refinement of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data yielded unit cell parameters of a = 11.3834(9)–11.4171(10) Å and c = 4.0297(2)–4.0575(4) Å with volumes ranging from 522.41(5) to 528.90(8) Å3. Structure refinements on single-crystal diffraction data show that Er44Mn55(AlSi)237 adopts a new cubic structure type in the space group Pm3n with a very large unit cell edge of a = 21.815(3) Å. This new structure is best understood when viewed as two sets of nested polyhedra centered on a main group atom and a manganese atom. These polyhedral clusters describe the majority of the atomic positions in the structure and form a perovskite-type network. We also report the electrical and magnetic properties of the title compounds. All compounds except the Ho analogue behave as normal paramagnetic metals without any observed magnetic transitions above 5 K and exhibit antiferromagnetic correlations deduced from the value of their Curie constants. Ho5Mn4Al23–xSix exhibits a ferromagnetic transition at 20 K and an additional metamagnetic transition at 10 K, suggesting independent ordering temperatures for two distinct magnetic sublattices.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1395125
Journal Information:
Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 52, Issue 17; ISSN 0020-1669
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English