MnGa2Sb2, a new ferromagnetic compound synthesized under high pressure

Abstract

A new intermetallic compound, MnGa2Sb2, has been synthesized by direct reaction from Mn and GaSb at 6 GPa and 500°C for 30 min using a belt-type high pressure apparatus. The compound crystallizes into an orthorhombic structure with the space group Iba2 (No. 45). The structure was refined by the Rietveld analysis of the powder X-ray diffraction data and the lattice constant was determined to be a = 1.180(7) nm, b = 0.5968(2) nm, c = 0.5858(2) nm. The structure consists of -Mn-Mn-Mn- linear chains parallel to the c-axis. The compound exhibits metallic conductivity and itinerant-electron ferromagnetic behavior with the Curie temperature of 310 K. © 2009 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.