Discovery of β-LnNiSb₃ (Ln = La, Ce): Crystal Growth, Structure, and Magnetic and Transport Behavior

A new polymorph of CeNiSb3 has been grown from a Sn flux and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. β-CeNiSb3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcm (No. 57) with Z = 8. The unit cell parameters are a = 12.9170(2) Å, b = 6.1210(5) Å, c = 12.0930(6) Å, and V = 956.13(9) Å3. Its layered structure contains structural motifs similar to that of the first form of CeNiSb3 and consists of Ce atoms inserted between anionic layers of nearly square ∞2[Sb] nets and distorted ∞2[NiSb2] octahedra. We report the synthesis, magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat of the new form of CeNiSb3 and compare the structures and physical properties of both polymorphs.