Magnetic susceptability study of the ferromagnetic Zr5Sb3Fe and of the contrasting cobalt and nickel analogues

Abstract Magnetic susceptibility data at ∼4-375 K are reported for Zr 5 Sb 3 Z phases with Z = Fe, Co, Ni or nothing. All occur in the Mn 5 Si 3 -type structure and contain infinite chains of confacial zirconium antiprisms, each centered by Z . The phases Zr 5 Sb 3 Co, Zr 5 Sb 3 Ni and Zr 5 Sb 3 exhibit only weak temperature-independent paramagnetism. On the other hand, Zr 5 Sb 3 Fe is ferromagnetic below T c ⋍ 540 K with Curie-Weiss behavior above ∼ 600 K (μ eff = 2.8(2) μ B ); the coercive field is ∼ 50 Oe at 80 K. Some implications of the contrasting structural anisotropy, the diluteness of the iron sublattice, and the high value of T c are noted.