Crystal Structure of Eu₂PdSi₃

Abstract

Single crystals of Eu 2 PdSi 3 were obtained from an arc-melted sample that was further annealed at 1020 K for seven days in a silica tube. The structure of Eu 2 PdSi 3 was refined from single crystal X-ray diffractometer data: P6/mmm, a = 831.88(12), c = 435.88(9) pm, wR2 = 0.1175, 265 F 2 values, and 13 variable parameters. It crystallizes with the U 2 RuSi 3 structure, a superstructure of the AlB 2 type. The palladium and silicon atoms form a planar two-dimensional [PdSi 3 ] network. The two crystallographically different europium atoms have hexagonal prismatic coordinations Eu1Si 12 and Eu2Pd 4 Si 8 . The Pd-Si and Si-Si distances within the [PdSi 3 ] network are 244 and 236 pm, respectively.