Structure and Magnetic Properties of Ce3(Ni/Al/Ga)11—A New Phase with the La3Al11 Structure Type

Abstract

Single crystals of Ce3(Ni/Al/Ga)11 were obtained from an Al flux reaction. Single crystals of the title compound crystallizing in the orthorhombic space group Immm (No. 71, Z = 2) with a = 436.38(14), b = 1004.5(3) and c = 1293.4(4) pm. This is a standardized unit cell of the previously published La3Al11 structure type. Wavelength dispersive microprobe provides the composition of Ce3.11(1)Ni0.03(1)Al8.95(1)Ga1.90(1). Single crystal refinement provides the composition Ce3Ni0.08Al9.13Ga1.78 with substitution of the Ni and Ga on the Al1 and Al4 sites with the Al2 and Al3 solely occupied by Al. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal antiferromagnetic ordering with TN = 4.8 K and there is no evidence for a ferromagnetic ordering that has been reported for Ce3Al11. The effective magnetic moment was found to be μeff = 1.9μB/Ce, which is lower than the expected value for trivalent Ce (2.54μB/Ce). OPEN ACCESSCrystals 2015, 5 2