Yb₇Ni₄InGe₁₂: a quaternary compound having mixed valent Yb atoms grown from indium flux

Abstract

The new intermetallic compound Yb7Ni4InGe12 was obtained as large silver needle shaped single crystals from reactive indium flux. Single crystal X-ray diffraction suggests that Yb7Ni4InGe12 crystallizes in the Yb7Co4InGe12 structure type, and tetragonal space group P4/m and lattice constants are a = b = 10.291(2) Å and c = 4.1460(8) Å. The crystal structure of Yb7Ni4InGe12 consists of columnar units of three different types of channels filled with the Yb atoms. The crystal structure of Yb7Ni4InGe12 is closely related to Yb5Ni4Ge10. The effective magnetic moment obtained from the magnetic susceptibility measurements in the temperature range 200-300 K is 3.66μB/Yb suggests mixed/intermediate valence behavior of ytterbium atoms. X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) confirms that Yb7Ni4InGe12 exhibits mixed valence.

Eu3Ir2In15: A Mixed-Valent and Vacancy-Filled Variant of the Sc5Co4Si10 Structure Type with Anomalous Magnetic Properties

“…The compound was obtained serendipitously during our quest to synthesize a silicide in indium flux. The synthesis strategy has been employed similar to our previous reports, where In was used as active flux. − We had used silicon beads (0.1 mm) for the synthesis. At the end of the reaction, it was noticed that most of the silicon beads remained unreacted, whereas some silicon beads turned into hollow bowls inside which shiny rod-shaped single crystals were found.…”

Not Just Par for the Course: 73 Quaternary Germanides RE4M2XGe4 (RE = La–Nd, Sm, Gd–Tm, Lu; M = Mn–Ni; X = Ag, Cd) and the Search for Intermetallics with Low Thermal Conductivity

“…The number of quaternary rare-earth germanides RE – M – M ′–Ge is potentially very large, with several thousand possible combinations of elements, but only a few hundred compounds have been identified so far . Many previously known quaternary germanides such as RE AuAl 4 Ge 2 , RE 3 CoAl 3 Ge 2 , REM Ga 3 Ge ( M = Co, Ni), RE 2 M Ga 9 Ge 2 ( M = Co, Ni), Yb 7 Ni 4 InGe 12 , and Yb 3 AuIn 3 Ge 2 were inadvertently obtained in the presence of Al, Ga, or In reactive fluxes. Site disorder of metal components is frequently observed in the structures of these quaternary germanides.…”