X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and magnetic susceptibility measurements on nominally CuFeCrSe3

Abstract

X-ray powder diffraction. Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed on polycrystalline samples of nominally CuFeCrSe3 prepared by the usual melt and anneal technique. The X-ray diffraction pattern was analyzed to determine the crystalline structure and lattice parameter values. The results suggested that CuFeCrSe3 has the ordered tetragonal stannite structure with a = 5.512 ± 0.003 A and c/a ≈ 2, in coexistence with a secondary phase that have been identified as CuCrSe2. The DTA spectra suggest a complicated process for melting throughout successive peritectic transformations as it was observed before in other CuFe-III-Se3 compounds; nevertheless, a solidification point of 1002 K can be clearly observed. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal paramagnetic Curie-Weiss behavior with θc ≈ 280 K. All the samples showed n-type conductivity.