Ternary Rhodium Borides A3Rh5B2 (A = Mg,Sc) and Quaternary Derivatives A2MRh5B2. Preparation,Crystal Structure (M = Main Group and 3 d Elements), and Magnetism (M = Mn,Fe)

The new ternary rhodium borides Mg₃Rh₅B₂ and Sc₃Rh₅B₂ (P4/mbm, Z = 2; a = 943.4(1) pm, c = 292.2(1) pm and a = 943.2(1) pm, c = 308.7(1) pm, respectively) crystallize with the Ti₃Co₅B₂ type structure. Mg and Sc may in part be substituted by a variety of elements M. For M = Si and Fe, homogeneity ranges were found according to A_3–xM_xRh₅B₂ with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0 for A = Sc and with x up to 1.5 for A = Mg. Quaternary compounds with x = 1 (A₂MRh₅B₂: A/M in short) were prepared with M = Be, Al, Si, P, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Sn (Co, Ni only with A = Mg; Sn only with A = Sc; P, As with deficiencies). Single crystal X‐ray investigations show an ordered substitutional variant of the Ti₃Co₅B₂ type in which the M atoms are arranged in chains along [001] with intrachain and interchain M–M distances of about 300 pm and 660 pm, respectively. Measuring the magnetisation (1.7 K–800 K) of the phases Mg/Mn, Sc/Mn, Mg/Fe, and Sc/Fe reveals antiferromagnetic interactions in the first and dominating ferromagnetic intrachain interactions in the remaining ones. Interchain interactions of antiferromagnetic nature are evident in Sc/Mn and Mg/Fe leading to metamagnetism below T_N = 130 K, while Sc/Fe behaves ferromagnetically below T_C = 450 K. The overall trend towards stronger ferromagnetic interactions with increasing valence electron concentration is obvious.