Structure and Magnetic Properties of CePtZn

Abstract

The intermetallic compound CePtZn was synthesized from the elements in a sealed tantalum tube by induction melting and structurally characterized by powder and single crystal X-ray diffractometer data: TiNiSi-type, space group Pnma, a = 706.89(19), b = 435.08(15), c = 809.71(16) pm, wR2 = 0.0385, 404 F2 values and 20 variables. The platinum and zinc atoms build up a three-dimensional network of condensed distorted PtZn4/4 tetrahedra with Pt-Zn distances in the range 268 - 273 pm. The cerium atoms fill channels within the [PtZn] network. CePtZn shows Curie-Weiss behavior in the temperature range from 75 to 300 K with μeff = 2.47 μB/Ce atom and θP = −18.7 K, indicating trivalent cerium. No magnetic ordering was detected down to 2 K.