Synthesis, structural and magnetic characterization of a new scheelite related compound: Eu2Mo3O12

Abstract

Polycrystalline Eu2Mo3O12 has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray and electron diffraction, high resolution electron microscopy and magnetic measurements. This oxide shows a complex scheelite superstructure whose essential feature is the existence of isolated Mo tetrahedra. Each Mo atom has four oxygen neighbors at distances ranging from 1.75 to 1.91 Å, whereas each Eu atom has eight oxygen neighbors at 2.43 Å. The temperature dependence of the inverse magnetic susceptibility shows that Eu2Mo3O12 behaves as a Curie-Weiss paramagnet at high temperature (160-300 K), whereas in the range 100-20 K it shows Van Vleck paramagnetism. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005.