Observation of large positive magnetoresistance and its sign reversal in GdRhGe

•GdRhGe shows two magnetic phase transitions, one collinear while other seems to be complex.•The ac susceptibility manifests the complex nature of second magnetic phase transition.•The compound shows large positive MR at low temperatures.•The sign change in MR and MCE take place below first magnetic phase transition. Magnetic properties, heat capacity and magnetoresistance (MR) of polycrystalline GdRhGe are investigated. It shows two antiferromagnetic transitions, one at T1=31.8K and the other at T2=24K, and field induced metamagnetic transition over a wide temperature range. The ac susceptibility data reveal that the transition at 24K is not simple antiferromagnetic. Dominant contributions to the heat capacity and the resistivity have been identified. MR is found to show sign reversal just below T1 and attains a large positive value of 48% at 2K for 50kOe. Like MR, the isothermal magnetic entropy change also undergoes a sign reversal as the temperature is varied, indicating a change of the magnetic structure and the moment amplitude in determining these properties.