Rare-earth-rich tellurides: Gd{sub 4}NiTe{sub 2} and Er{sub 5}M{sub 2}Te{sub 2} (M=Co, Ni)

Three new rare earth metal-rich compounds, Gd{sub 4}NiTe{sub 2}, and Er{sub 5}M{sub 2}Te{sub 2} (M=Ni, Co), were synthesized in direct reactions using R, R{sub 3}M, and R{sub 2}Te{sub 3} (R=Gd, Er; M=Co, Ni) and single-crystal structures were determined. Gd{sub 4}NiTe{sub 2} is orthorhombic and crystallizes in space group Pnma with four formula units per cell. Lattice parameters at 110(2)K are a=15.548(9), b=4.113(2), c=11.7521(15)A. Er{sub 5}Ni{sub 2}Te{sub 2} and Er{sub 5}Co{sub 2}Te{sub 2} are isostructural and crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm with two formula units per cell. Lattice parameters at 110(2)K are a=3.934(1), b=14.811(4), c=14.709(4)A, and a=3.898(1), b=14.920(3), c=14.889(3)A, respectively. Metal-metal bonding correlations were analyzed using the empirical Pauling bond order concept.