Preparation, cell constants, and some magnetic properties of CeScO3

CeScO3 was prepared for the first time by arc-melting appropriate amounts of CeO2, Sc2O3, and Sc. The x-ray powder pattern was indexed on an orthorhombic, GdFeO3-type cell, with cell constants (A°) a = 5.787(3), b = 8.047(8), c = 5.626(4). Magnetic susceptibility data on powdered samples from 4.2K to 300K were obtained. The data do not obey the Curie-Weiss Law in this temperature range and this behaviour is ascribed to crystal field effects. Two models for the crystal field intensity parameters, Bkq, were tested by comparing calculated and experimental susceptibilities. One model gave a fair fit to the high temperature susceptibility and a ground state powder averaged 〈geff〉 = 2.02 in fair agreement with the experimental 〈geff〉 = 2.07. The implications for these results on CeScO3 for the isostructural material, CeTiO3, are discussed.