THE ELECTRONIC-PROPERTIES OF CE IN CEFE4P12

An investigation of the bonding behaviours of selected rare earth (R) containing filled skutterudite samples (RFe4P12) is reported. X-ray di ffraction and magnetic properties of CeFe4P12 are compared with those previously published. The electronic structure and bonding properties of the R=La, Ce and Pr members of this series are probed by X-ray abso rption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES), and compared with the L3 edges of selected trivalent and tetravalent standards. We find.that the Ce X ANES is complex, indicating that although the Ce is primarily trivalen t, there is evidence of complex electronic behaviour in CeFe4P12. A co mparison of the L3 edges of LaFe4P12, and PrFe4P12, as well as CeFe4P1 2, with those obtained from ionic model compounds reveals some bonding between the f-ion and the -FeP- framework in all cases.