A neutron diffraction study on liquid Rb-Sb alloys

The total structure factor and the total pair correlation function of the l iquid alloy system RbxSb1-x (x = 0.5) has been determined by time-of-flight neutron diffraction measurements. We found that in liquid RbSb, like in th e solid compound RbSb and liquid CsSb, a molecular structure with covalentl y bonded Sb-chains (Sb-n(n-)) prevails. The microscopic structure is theref ore explained by stable Zintl-ions rather than by a simple ionic structure. In addition small angle scattering measurements have been performed for sa mples with x = 0.85, 0.75 and 0.5 in the Q-range 10(-2) less than or equal to Q/Angstrom(-1) less than or equal to 0.2. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.