Superconductivity of SrAlGe and BaAlGe: structure and dynamics of SrAlGeH and BaAlGeH

The discovery of the superconductor MgB2 led to the increase of research activity for more compounds adopting the AlB2 structure type and containing superconductive properties. The prominent successor compounds were the silicide systems, AeAlSi (Ae=Sr, Ba, Ca). Presented here is an extension of this investigation to the germanides, SrAlGe and BaAlGe. The ternary structures were synthesized through arc-melting elemental stoichiometric mixtures and structurally characterized by x-ray powder diffraction. Both crystallize as the hexagonal SrPtSb structure type, a variant of the AlB2 structure type. The low temperature region was measured on a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and both present the onset of superconductivity below 7K. These compounds are susceptible to hydrogen absorption and the new polyanionic hydrides, SrAlGeH and BaAlGeH, structural and dynamic properties are presented. The hydrides were synthesized via two distinct methods. One method is the reaction of SrH2 (BaH2) with elemental mixture of the Al and Ge under pressurized hydrogen and the other is a hydrogenation of the SrAlGe and BaAlGe. Both crystallize in the trigonal SrAlSiH structure type, as determined from Rietveld analysis on powder neutron diffraction measurements. The hydrogen is coordinated by both the active metal and aluminum atoms, providing a unique environment for studying metal-hydrogen interactions. When exposed to air, both the hydrides and alloys transform from a crystalline grey to an amorphous yellow powder accompanied by a dramatic volume increase. Infrared spectroscopy shows the disappearance of the bands associated with the Al-H bond and the appearance of Ge-H and O-H bands. This indicates the material reacts with atmospheric water.