Yb~51In13H27: A complex metal hydride grown from Yb/Li flux

Abstract Molten mixtures of ytterbium and lithium metals can be used as fluxes for the synthesis of metal hydrides. Reactions of indium and lithium hydride in Yb/Li flux produce Yb ~51 In 13 H 27 (cubic, Im- 3; a = 16.218(6) A, Z = 2). Yb ~51 In 13 H 27 is an analog of previously reported Ca 54 In 13 H 27 which was grown from Ca/Li flux. The compound features In@Yb 12 @H 20 @Yb 30 Bergman-like clusters at the corners and body centers of the cubic lattice. The clusters are connected by a hydride site and disordered ytterbium sites. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the ytterbium is divalent; the compound shows diamagnetic behavior with a Curie tail at lower temperatures attributed to impurities such as traces of Yb 3+ that form on crystal surfaces due to slight oxidation.