Crystal structures and magnetic properties of lanthanide containing borates LnM(BO3)2 (Ln=Y, Ho-Lu; M=Sc, Cr)

The lanthanide containing borates LnM(BO3)2 (Ln=Y, Ho-Lu; M=Sc, Cr) have the dolomite-type (Ln=Cr) and calcite-type (Ln=Sc) structures. Both structures are similar to each other except for the difference in the partially or fully disordered arrangements of octahedral sites. At low temperatures, the LnCr(BO3)2 compounds show an antiferromagnetic transition due to a long-range ordering of Cr3+ moments. Among them only YbCr(BO3)2 shows an antiferromagnetic ordering of Ln3+ ion at 2.1 K.