Z. Malik

Crystal structure of novel Ni-Zn borides: first observation of a boron-metal nested cage unit: B20Ni6.

The crystal structures of three ternary Ni-Zn borides have been elucidated by means of X-ray single-crystal diffraction (XSC) and X-ray powder diffraction techniques (XPD) in combination with electron microprobe analyses (EMPA) defining the Ni/Zn ratio. Ni(21)Zn(2)B(24) crystallizes in a unique structure type (space group I4/mmm; a = 0.72103(1) nm and c = 1.42842(5) nm; R(F)(2) = 0.017), which contains characteristic isolated cages of B(20) units composed of two corrugated octogonal boron rings, which are linked at four positions via boron atoms. The B(20) units appear to have eight-membered rings on all six faces like the faces of a cube. Each face is centered by a nickel atom. The six nickel atoms are arranged in the form of an octahedron nested within the B(20) unit. Such a boron aggregation is unique and has never been encountered before in metal-boron chemistry. The crystal structure of Ni(12)ZnB(8-x) (x = 0.43; space group Cmca, a = 1.05270(2) nm, b = 1.45236(3) nm, c = 1.45537(3) nm; R(F)(2) = 0.028) adopts the structure type of Ni(12)AlB(8) with finite zigzag chains of five boron atoms. The compound Ni(3)ZnB(2) crystallizes in a unique structure type (space group C2/m, a = 0.95101(4) nm, b = 0.28921(4) nm, c = 0.84366(3) nm, β = 101.097(3)°, and R(F)(2) = 0.020) characterized by B(4) zigzag chain fragments with B-B bond lengths of 0.183-0.185 nm. The Ni(3)ZnB(2) structure is related to the Dy(3)Ni(2) type.

Physical properties of the ternary borides Ni21Zn2B20 and Ni3ZnB2

β-YbAlB4 is the unique heavy fermion superconductor that exhibits unconventional quantum criticality without tuning in a strongly intermediate valence state. Despite the large coherence temperature, set by the peak of the longitudinal resistivity, our Hall effect measurements reveal that resonant skew scattering from incoherent local moments persists down to at least∼ 40 K, where the Hall coefficient exhibits a distinct minimum signaling another formation of coherence. The observation strongly suggests that the hybridization between f -moments and conduction electrons has a two component character with distinct Kondo or coherence scales TK of ∼ 40 K and 200 K; this is confirmed by the magnetic field dependence of ρxy .