Crystal Structure and Properties of Some Filled and Unfilled Skutterudites: GdFe4P12, SmFe4P12, NdFe4As12, Eu0.54Co4Sb12, Fe0.5Ni0.5P3, CoP3, and NiP3

The new cubic compound Fe_0.5Ni_0.5P₃ (a = 775.29(5) pm) as well as the known compounds CoP₃ and NiP₃ were synthesized from the elemental components using tin as a flux. Their skutterudite (CoAs₃) type structures were refined from single‐crystal X‐ray data. The new compound GdFe₄P₁₂ was prepared by reaction of an alloy Gd_1/3Fe_2/3 with phosphorus in a tin flux. Its cubic “filled” skutterudite (LaFe₄P₁₂ type) structure was refined from single‐crystal X‐ray data: a = 779.49(4) pm, R = 0.019 for 304 structure factors and 11 variable parameters. SmFe₄P₁₂ shows Van Vleck paramagnetism while GdFe₄P₁₂ is a soft ferromagnet with a Curie temperature of T_C = 22(5) K. Both are metallic conductors. The new isotypic polyarsenide NdFe₄As₁₂ (a = 830.9(1) pm) was obtained by reacting NdAs₂ with iron and arsenic in the presence of a NaCl/KCl flux. The new isotypic polyantimonide Eu_0.54(1)Co₄Sb₁₂ (a = 909.41(8) pm) was prepared by reaction of EuSb₂ with cobalt and antimony. Its structure was refined from single‐crystal X‐ray data to a residual of 0.024 (137 F values, 12 variables). A comparison of the Fe–P and P–P bond lengths in the compounds AFe₄P₁₂, where the A atoms (A = Ce, Eu, Gd, Th) have differing valencies, suggests that the Fermi level cuts through Fe–P bonding and P–P antibonding bands.