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Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility χ, x-ray photoemission spectra (XPS), electrical resistivity ρ and electronic structure calculations for CeNi4B are reported. In the paramagnetic region, CeNi4B follows the Curie–Weiss law with µeff = 0.52µB/fu and θ = −10.7 K. The effective magnetic moment is lower than the free Ce3+-ion value. The Ce(3d) XPS spectra have confirmed the mixed-valence state of Ce ions in CeNi4B. The f occupancy, nf, and the coupling Δ between the f level and the conduction states were derived to be about 0.83 and 85 meV, respectively. Both susceptibility data and XPS spectra show that Ce ions in CeNi4B are in the intermediate-valence state. At low temperatures (below 12 K), the magnetic contribution to the electrical resistivity reveals a logarithmic slope characteristic of Kondo-like systems.

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