文摘
This article covers the use of indium as a potential metal solvent for the crystal growth of europium and ytterbium-based intermetallic compounds. A brief view about the advantage of metal flux technique and the use of indium as reactive and non-reactive flux are outlined. Large single crystals of EuGe2, EuCoGe3 and Yb2AuGe3 compounds were obtained in high yield from the reactions of the elements in liquid indium. The results presented here demonstrate that considerable advances in the discovery of single crystal growth of complex phases are achievable utilizing molten metals as solvents. Graphical Abstract Metal flux is an important synthetic tool in solid-state chemistry for both crystal-growth studies and exploratory studies of europium and ytterbium-based intermetallic compounds. Large single crystals of EuGe2, EuCoGe3 and Yb2AuGe3 compounds were obtained in high yield from the reactions of the elements in liquid indium.