The ternary rare-earth antimonide YbCrSb3 was prepared by arc-melting of the elements. Its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (Pearson symbol oP20, orthorhombic, space group Pbcm, Z = 4, a = 12.981(3) Å, b = 6.140(1) Å, c = 5.993(1) Å). YbCrSb3 is isostructural to LaCrSb3 and CeCrSb3, and extends the RECrSb3 series (previously known for RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy) to the latest rare-earth member yet and to one that is essentially divalent instead of trivalent. Electrical resistivity measurements on single crystals and magnetic susceptibility measurements on powders revealed a magnetic ordering transition at T C = ∼280 K, the highest observed so far in the RECrSb3 series. The isothermal magnetization at 100 K indicated an approach to saturation, but with low values (0.08 μB/mol at 9 T). These results suggest a ferromagnetic or canted antiferromagnetic structure.

Ternary rare-earth transition-metal antimonides RExMySbz have provided fertile ground for discovering materials with varied electrical and magnetic properties such as superconductivity and ferromagnetism. The properties of two important classes of these compounds, RE3TiSb5 and RECrSb3, have been previously investigated. These studies have now been extended to RE3MSb5 (M = Zr, Hf), which show anomalies in their resistivity curves suggestive of electronic transitions, and YbCrSb3, which undergoes long-range magnetic ordering at 285 K, the highest Tc observed so far of all RECrSb3 members. Strong magnetic exchange interactions develop through coupling of f and d electrons in these compounds. The substitution of uranium for rare earth in RE3MSb5 results in the compounds U3MSb5 (M = Zr, Hf, Nb), which also display prominent transitions in their electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility curves.

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