The structure of Ce2Al3Ge4 refined for the first time from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data

Abstract

Single crystals of dicerium trialuminium tetragermanide, Ce2Al3Ge4, have been synthesized from a high-temperature reaction using an eutectic mixture of Al and Ge as a metal flux. Through single-crystal X-ray diffraction it was established that Ce2Al3Ge4 crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group Cmce (No. 64) with the Ba2Cd3Bi4 structure type (Pearson code oC36). Five atoms compose the asymmetric unit, i.e. one Ce, two Al, and two Ge atoms, all in special positions with Wyckoff symbols 8f (Ce), 4a and 8e (Al), and 8e and 8f (Ge). The structure can be described as a three-dimensional network of Al and Ge atoms, with Ce atoms occupying the cavities of the framework.