The germanides RE3Pt4Ge6 (RE=Y, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd–Dy) have been synthesized by arc-melting of the elements followed by inductive annealing to improve the crystallinity and allow for structural order. The compounds have been studied by powder X-ray diffraction; additionally the structure of Y3Pt4Ge6 has been refined from single-crystal X-ray diffractometer data. It exhibits a (3+1)D modulated structure, indicating isotypism with Ce3Pt4Ge6. The crystal structure can be described as an intergrowth between YIrGe2- and CaBe2Ge2-type slabs along [100]. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements showed Pauli paramagnetism for Y3Pt4Ge6 and Curie-Weiss paramagnetism for Pr3Pt4Ge6 and Nd3Pt4Ge6. Sm3Pt4Ge6 exhibits van Vleck paramagnetism, while antiferromagnetic ordering at TN=8.1(1) K and TN=11.0(1) K is observed for Gd3Pt4Ge6 and Tb3Pt4Ge6, respectively.

Abstract. The compounds of the REPt 6 Al 3 series (RE = Ce-Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb) were obtained by reaction of the elements via arc-melting. They were characterized by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (NdPt 6 Al 3 : wR = 0.0432, 759 F 2 values, 33 variables) as well as by magnetic susceptibility measurements. The isostructural compounds crystallize with a new structure type in the trigonal crystal system with space group R3c, twelve formula units in the unit cell, and lattice parameters of a = 752-755 and c = 3882-3945 pm. The crystal structure can be described by different slabs stacked along [001]. One layer