Metal flux synthesis of inorganic compounds involves using a low melting element, alloy, or eutectic combination in large excess of the other reactants present. A near-eutectic combination of 74% cerium to 26% copper is an excellent solvent for boron and carbon and is being used to grow crystals of cerium-containing borocarbide compounds. Cerium intermetallics are of interest due to their tendencies to exhibit properties including intermediate valance, heavy fermion behavior, and superconductivity. This work seeks to establish correlations between structural features within these compounds to the properties they exhibit. Ce4B2C3, a previously unreported phase, was found to have a structure very similar to that of Nd2BC, which had been previously formed through arc melting. Both structures feature identical 4 atom C-B-B-C chains, but the cerium compound also contains an additional carbon site. Ce2BC2, having the Sc2BC2 structure-type with a 3 atom C-B-C chain, has been investigated for numerous properties including exfoliation.

Cerium/copper flux synthesis of new cerium borocarbides

2019 Spring National Meeting

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