New quaternary chalcogenides balnmq₃ (ln = rare earth or sc; m = cu, ag; q= s, se). ii. structure and property variation vs rare-earth element

Some new quaternary compounds of the type BaLnMQ₃ (Ln = rare earth or Sc; M = Cu, Ag; Q = S, Se) have been synthesized by the reaction of the constituent binary chalcogenides and elements at 1000°C. The crystal structures of two of these compounds have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques and are isostructural. Crystal data: BaErCuS₃-space group D¹⁷_2h -Cmcm, M= 464.32, Z = 4, a = 3.987(1), b = 13.377(3), c = 10.101(2) Å (T = 115 K), V = 538.7(4) ų, R_w (F²) = 0.095 for 848 observations and 24 variables, R(F) = 0.037 for 840 observations having F²₀ > 2σ (F²₀); BaYAgSe-space group D¹⁷_2h -Cmcm, M = 571.0, Z = 4, a = 4.239(1), b = 14.030(2), c = 10.636(2) Å (T = 115 K), V = 632.6(2) ų, R_w (F²) = 0.057 for 645 observations and 24 variables, R(F) = 0.023 for 595 observations having F²₀ > 2σ(F²₀). These two compounds adopt the layered KZrCuS₃ structure type. The layers, which are separated by Ba²⁺ ions, consist of edge-sharing octahedral chains and corner-sharing tetrahedral chains. The other compounds synthesized crystallize either with this same structure or with that of β-BaLaCuSe₃, a slightly distorted variation, which is isostructural with Eu₂CuS₃. The diffuse reflective UV-visible spectra of several of these compounds have been measured. From magnetic susceptibility measurements, both BaNdCuS₃ and BaGdCuS₃ show Curie-Weiss behavior, whereas BaCeCuS₃ and BaCeCuSe₃ show in addition temperature-independent paramagnetism.