Synthesis, magnetic and electronic properties of mixed oxides of antimony with the rutile structure

Abstract

Polycrystalline samples of RuCrSbO₆ and VRhSbO₆ with the rutile structure have been obtained by solid-state reaction in evacuated silica glass tubes. The crystal structures have been determined by employing Rietveld structure analysis of powder X-ray diffraction data. Magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest the presence of strong magnetic interactions in CrRuSbO₆ below 70 K, whereas in VRhSbO₆ only a Curie–Weiss type behaviour is observed. Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power measurements show that both oxides are semiconductors with low activation energies (E_a≈0.2 eV) and that the charge carriers are electrons.