Magnetic properties and specific heat studies of RE2Pd2Cd (RE La,Ce,Nd)

The intermetallic compounds RE2Pd2Cd (RE = La, Ce, Nd) were prepared from the elements in sealed tantalum tubes in a water-cooled sample chamber of an induction furnace. The structure of Nd2Pd2Cd was refined on the basis of x-ray single crystal data: P4/mbm, a = 774.15(9), c = 386.73(7) pm, wR 2 0.0321, 214 F2 values, 12 variables. The compounds of this series exhibit interesting magnetic behaviour, namely complex magnetism in Ce2Pd2Cd and ferromagnetism in Nd2Pd2Cd (TC = 23.7 K). La2Pd2Cd is a Pauli paramagnet. We have carried out detailed investigations of the magnetic and heat capacity behaviour of La2Pd2Cd, Ce2Pd2Cd and Nd2Pd2Cd