Eutectoid flux growth and physical properties of single crystal Ln117Ni54-ySn112-z (Ln = Gd-Dy)

Ln117Ni53-ySn112-z (Ln = Gd-Dy) have been grown via the eutectoid flux growth method, characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction, and determined to have a face centered cubic unit cell with lattice parameters of a = 30.070(4), 29.862(5), and 29.823(4) Å for the Gd, Dy, and Tb analogues. The compounds contain over 1100 atoms per unit cell with a complex bonding network and multiple magnetic sublattices. In addition, disorder is prevalent throughout the structure. These physical characteristics are ideal when searching for ultralow thermal conductivity materials. Magnetic susceptibility and electrical properties are presented, and all analogues exhibit positive Curie-Weiss constants, suggesting ferromagnetic interactions in each compound, in addition to a spin-glass component to the magnetic behavior