Effect of Transition Metal Substitution on the Structure and Properties of a Clathrate-Like Compound Eu₇Cu44As23.

ABSTRACT: A series of substitutional solid solutions-Eu₇Cu44-xTxAs23 (T = Fe, Co, Ni)-based on a recently discovered clathrate-like compound (Eu₇Cu44As23) were synthesized from the elements at 800 °C. Almost up to 50% of Cu can be substituted by Ni, resulting in a linear decrease of the cubic unit cell parameter from a = 16.6707(1) Å for the ternary compound to a = 16.3719(1) Å for the sample with the nominal composition Eu₇Cu24Ni20As23. In contrast, Co and Fe can only substitute less than 20% of Cu. Crystal structures of six samples of different composition were refined from powder diffraction data. Despite very small differences in scattering powers of Cu, Ni, Co, and Fe, we were able to propose a reasonable model of dopant distribution over copper sites based on the trends in interatomic distance

SUBMITTER: Plokhikh IV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5456878 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature