Preparation and crystal structure of nanocrystalline RuZn3

The new compound RuZn3 was prepared in nanocrystalline form by an isopiestic vapour pressure method. Its crystal structure was solved from high resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data collected at the ID31 beamline at ESRF in Grenoble. The compound crystallizes in the space group I4/mmm with a = 3.770724(6) Å, c = 15.57438(5) Å, and adopts the ZrAl3 structure type (Pearson symbol tI16).