Evidence of uranium magnetic ordering on U2Fe3Ge

A new ternary uranium intermetallic compound, U2Fe3Ge, was synthesized and investigated. This compound crystallizes in the MgZn2-type structure ( a = 5.1870 ( 3 ) Å and c = 7.8501 ( 5 ) Å , space group P 6 3 / m m c ), with uranium–uranium distances well below the Hill limit. Magnetization measurements indicate a ferromagnetic-type transition at 55(1) K. Mössbauer studies show that the magnetic ordering is due only to the uranium sub-lattice, pointing to U2Fe3Ge as a new exception to Hill’s rule.