Samarium tetraboride is a binary inorganic compound of samarium and boron with the formula SmB4. It forms black crystals.
Preparation
Samarium tetraboride can be prepared from directly reacting samarium and boron at 2400 °C:
Physical properties
Samarium tetraboride forms crystals of the orthorhombic crystal system, space group P4/mbm, cell parameters a = 0.7174 nm, c = 0.40696 nm, Z = 4, and a structure like thorium tetraboride.
The compound is formed by a peritectic reaction at a temperature of 2400 °C.
At temperatures of 25 K and 7 K, magnetic transitions occur in the compound.
References