Studies on structural and thermal expansion properties of Ho2−xLnxMo4O15 (Ln = Er, Sm and Ce) solid solutions

Three new series of Ho2−xErxMo4O15 (x = 0.0-2.0), Ho2−xSmxMo4O15 (x = 0.0-0.6) and Ho2−xCexMo4O15 (x = 0.0-0.25) solid solutions have been prepared successfully by solid-state reaction and studied by powder X-ray diffraction. All the XRD patterns of these molybdates can be indexed in monoclinic space group P21/c. Lattice parameters a, b and c of Ho2−xLnxMo4O15 decrease linearly with increasing erbium content and increase with increasing samarium or cerium content. Thermal expansion behaviors of Ho2−xLnxMo4O15 have been investigated in the 25-500 °C temperature range with high-temperature X-ray diffraction. The temperature dependence of Mo(2)-O14 interaction looks like to be responsible for their thermal expansion behaviors.