The PrBa2Cu4O8 compound with a trace of BaCuO3 and PrBaO3 was synthesi
zed for the first time by annealing at the temperature of 957 degrees
C under 5 atm oxygen pressure. The content of the PrBaO3 is estimated
to be less than 0.2%. The superconducting transition was not detected
down to 2 K. The magnitude of the resistivity and its temperature depe
ndence are consistent with the possession of a metallic character in t
his compound in contrast to the semiconducting behavior reported previ
ously for the PrBa2CU3O7-delta compound. The effective magnetic moment
, mu(eff), estimated from the Curie-Weiss fitting to the magnetic susc
eptibility data, turns out to be 2.67 mu(B).