Raman and NMR spectroscopic and theoretical investigations of the cubic laves-phases REAl (RE = Sc, Y, La, Yb, Lu).

The cubic Laves-phase aluminides REAl with RE = Sc, Y, La, Yb and Lu were prepared from the elements by arc-melting or using refractory metal ampoules and induction heating. They all crystallize in the cubic crystal system with space group 3̄ and adopt the MgCu type structure. The title compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and spectroscopically investigated using Raman and Al and in the case of ScAl by Sc solid-state MAS NMR.