The antimonide oxides REZnSbO and REMnSbO (RE = Ce, Pr) – An XPS study

Polycrystalline samples of the ZrCuSiAs type antimonide oxides REZnSbO and REMnSbO (RE = Ce, Pr) were prepared from RESb precursors and MnO, respectively ZnO via a ceramic route. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies are used to investigate the charge assignments. For comparison the CeO2 and Pr6O11 reference standards were also investigated. Detailed component analysis of Sb 3d, O 1s, C 1s, Mn 2p, Zn 2p, Pr 3d and Ce 3d core-level spectra determined the types of valence states and their proportions on the samples' surfaces. The results show that praseodymium is in a +3 oxidation state, whereas cerium exists in both +3 and +4 states. The formations of three manganese states in REMnSbO and one dominating Zn(II) state in REZnSbO have also been noticed.

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► REMnSbO and REZnSbO (RE = Ce, Pr) were prepared via ceramic route.
► XPS studies are used to investigate the charge assignments in pnictide oxides.
► Pr compounds well underline the proposed formal Zintl-related assignments.
► Ce compounds have much more complicated charge assignment then predicted one.