Crystal structure of new ternary RE1.9Cu9.2Sn2.8 compounds (REÂ =Â Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu)

A series of isotypic RE1.9Cu9.2Sn2.8 compounds, where RE are Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, was synthesized by arc-melting and the crystal structure was determined by X-ray powder diffraction. The structure is a partly disordered substitution variant of the CeNi5Sn structure type (space group P63/mmc), which consists of CaCu5-type fragments of composition RE0.9Cu4.2Sn0.8 and fragments of a hypothetical structure of composition RECu5Sn2. All the RE1.9Cu9.2Sn2.8 compounds obtained here are paramagnets and characterized by metal-like conductivity.