Eu1.8La0.2BaZnO5:: a Rietveld refinement using X-ray powder diffraction

The families of oxides with stoichiometry RE2BaMO5 (where RE is a trivalent rare earth, and M is Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pd2+ or Pt2+) are known as the green phases in studies of YBa-Cu-O superconductor ceramics. These oxides are not superconductors but nevertheless present interesting structural types. In this work, the synthesis and structural characterization using the Rietveld method applied to X-ray powder diffraction data for Eu1.8La0.2BaZnO5 (europium lanthanum barium zinc oxide) are presented. The compound is isostructural with Y2BaZnO5. The two sites for Y3+ are occupied by Eu3+, while La3+ ions partially occupy one of these sites.