Structure-property relations in pnictides and chalcogenides of Eu2+

In this thesis, the structure-properties relations in pnictides and chalcogenides of divalent Eu were elaborated. Interest to its compounds was due to the high magnetic moment of Eu2+ cations, owing to a half-filled 4f shell. It was expected to induce unusual magnetic states and to have a substantial impact on the physics of the matrixes, in which it is nested. The highly-localized nature of the 4f electrons precludes substantial direct magnetic exchange or superexchange, but interactions through the conducting frameworks can be sizable and lead to non-trivial magnetic states. The crystallographic similarity of Eu2+ and Sr2+ was a tool for predicting the new materials. The synthetic work resulted in the preparation of more than ten new compounds, including rare fluorides belonging to the 1111 structure type and the first magnetic tetrel-free clathrate EuNi2P4. Crystallographic and synthetic work were accompanied by physical properties measurements – temperature-dependent magnetization, heat capacity, and resistivity. Neutron powder diffraction was instrumental for establishing the natures of the low-temperature magnetically ordered phases despite the strong neutron absorption of natural Eu