Unusually short Ce-Ru distances in CeRuAl and related compounds

Wilfried Hermes (1) , Samir F. Matar (2) , Rainer Pöttgen (1)

1 Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie
2 ICMCB - Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux

The aluminide CeRuAl with orthorhombic LaNiAl-type structure contains two crystallographically independent cerium sites which both exhibit relatively short Ce–Ru distances, i. e. 280 – 302 pm for Ce1 and 286 – 310 pm for Ce2. Susceptibility measurements show intermediate valence behavior of the cerium atoms (1.19(1) μB per formula unit) and no magnetic ordering down to 2 K. Chemical bonding analysis reveals a non-magnetic ground state and strong Ce–Ru bonding. The Ce–Ru bonding peculiarities of CeRuAl are discussed in line with those of other binary and ternary cerium–ruthenium compounds.

Mots clés: Cerium; Ruthenium; Intermediate Valence; Magnetic Properties; Electronic Structure

Domaines: Matériaux

Wilfried Hermes, Samir F. Matar, Rainer Pöttgen. Unusually short Ce-Ru distances in CeRuAl and related compounds. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung B, 2009, 64 (8), pp.901-908. ⟨10.1515/znb-2009-0805⟩. ⟨hal-00418636⟩