Synthesis of ThCr2Si2-type arsenides from Bi flux.

LaCo(2)As(2) can be synthesized as pure crystalline material by annealing a mixture of elements in Bi flux. The reaction, however, is accompanied by the incorporation of a small quantity of Bi into the structure and the formation of vacancies in the Co sublattice, which lead to substantial changes in structural and magnetic properties of the material. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011