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Two new compounds were synthesized by heating mixtures of the elements at 975–1025 K and characterized by single-crystal X-ray methods. CaZn2Si2 (a=4.173(2) A˚, c=10.576(5) A˚) and EuZn2Ge2 (a=4.348(2) A˚, c=10.589(9) A˚) crystallize in the ThCr2Si2-type structure (space group I4/mmm; Z=2). Magnetic susceptibility measurements of EuZn2Ge2 show Curie–Weiss behavior with a magnetic moment of 7.85(5)μB/Eu and a paramagnetic Curie temperature of 10(1) K. EuZn2Ge2 orders antiferromagnetically at TN=10.0(5) K and undergoes a metamagnetic transition at a low critical field of about 0.3(2) T. The saturation magnetization at 2 K and 5.5 T is 6.60(5) μB/Eu. 151Eu Mo¨ssbauer spectroscopic experiments show one signal at 78 K at an isomer shift of −11.4(1) mm/s and a line width of 2.7(1) mm/s compatible with divalent europium. At 4.2 K full magnetic hyperfine field splitting with a field of 26.4(4) T is detected. The already known compounds CaM2Ge2 (M: Mn–Zn) also crystallize in the ThCr2Si2-type structure. Their MGe4 tetrahedra are strongly distorted with M=Ni and nearly undistorted with M=Mn or Zn. According to LMTO electronic band structure calculations, the distortion is driven by a charge transfer from M–Ge antibonding to bonding levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Single-phase samples of REAgMg (RE=La, Ce, Eu, Yb) and EuAuMg were prepared by reacting the elements in sealed tantalum tubes in a high-frequency furnace. LaAgMg and CeAgMg adopt the hexagonal ZrNiAl-type structure, while EuAgMg, YbAgMg, and EuAuMg crystallize with the orthorhombic TiNiSi type. Chemical bonding was exemplarily investigatedfor EuAgMg and EuAuMg on the basis of TB-LMTO-ASAcalculations. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicatePauli paramagnetism for LaAgMg and YbAgMg with room-temperature susceptibilities of 2.4(1)×10−9 and 1.5(1)×10−9 m3/mol, respectively. CeAgMg remains paramagnetic down to 2 K. The experimental magnetic moment of 2.52(2) μB/Ce above 50 K is compatible with trivalent cerium. EuAgMg and EuAuMg are paramagnetic above 50 K with experimentalmagnetic moments of 7.99(5) μB/Eu for the silver and 7.80(5) μB/Eu for the gold compound, indicating divalent europium. Ferromagnetic ordering is detected at TC=22.0(3) K (EuAgMg) and TC=36.5(5) K (EuAuMg). At 4.2 K and 5 T the saturation magnetizations are 7.1(1) and 7.3(1) μB/Eu for EuAgMg and EuAuMg, respectively. According to the very small hysteresis, EuAgMg and EuAuMg may be classified as soft ferromagnets. All compounds are metallic conductors. For EuAgMg and EuAuMg freezing of spin-disorder scattering is observed below TC. At 78 K 151Eu Mo¨ssbauer spectra show isomer shifts of −9.00(4) and −8.72(8) mm/s for EuAgMg and EuAuMg, respectively. Full magnetic hyperfine field splitting is detected at 4.2 K with hyperfine fields of 17.4(1) and 18.3(2) T at the europium nuclei of EuAgMg and EuAuMg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]