| Abstract
| - A series of compounds has been discovered while investigating reactions of rare earth, transition metals, and Gein excess indium. These compounds, RE2Zn3Ge6 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd), are isostructural, crystallizing in theorthorhombic space group Cmcm with lattice parameters a = 5.9691(9) Å, b = 24.987(4) Å, and c = 5.9575(9)Å for La2Zn3Ge6, a = 5.9503(5) Å, b = 24.761(2) Å, and c = 5.9477(5) Å for the Ce analogue, a =5.938(2) Å,b = 24.708(8) Å, and c = 5.936(2) Å for Pr2Zn3Ge6, and a = 5.9094(7) Å, b = 24.619(3) Å, and c = 5.9063(5)Å for the Nd analogue. The structure is composed of PbO-like ZnGe layers and ZnGe4 cage layers and is relatedto the Ce4Zn8Ge11-x structure type. The bonding in the system can be rationalized using the Zintl concept resultingin a material that is expected to be a valence precise semiconductor, although its behavior is more consistent withit being a semimetal, making it an intermediate case. The results of band structure calculations and magneticmeasurements of these compounds are discussed.
- The RE2Zn3Ge6 compounds are semimetals, but their structures can be understood according to the Zintl−Klemm concept.
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