Ternary cobalt germanium pnictides CoGexPn1-x (Pn = P, As, Sb) and the structure of Co3Ge2Sb, an intermetallic compound with stuffed Sb2 pairs
The ternary cobalt germanium pnictide systems CoGexPn1-x (Pn = P, As, Sb; 0 <x <1) were investigated. The ternary phosphides CoGexP1-x and arsenides CoGexAs1-x adopt the MnP structure (Pnma) in the range 0 <x <0.8, with Ge and Pn (Pn = P, As) disordering over the anion sites. Reactions in the antimonide system CoGexSb1-x result in a mixture of ternary phases, one with the NiAs structure (P63/mmm) in which Ge and Sb disorder over the anion sites, and another that is a new intermetallic compound, Co3Ge2Sb. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that Co3Ge2Sb crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6/mmm with a = 8.9128(13) Å, c = 7.6312(8) Å, and Z = 6 (T = 22°C). The structure of Co3Ge2Sb comprises alternating kagomé nets of Co atoms and 63 nets of Ge atoms, with Sb2 pairs stuffed along the centres of the concentric hexagons of these nets. Co3Ge2Sb may be regarded as an intermediate structure that is distorted from the limiting CoSn and CaCu5 structures. Key words: cobalt, germanium, antimony, pnictide, crystal structure