The iron arsenide Eu3Fe2O5Fe2As2 was synthesized at 1173-1373 K in a resistance furnace and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction with Rietveld analysis: Sr3Fe2O5Cu2S2-type, I4/mmm, a = 406.40(1) pm, c = 2646.9(1) pm. Layers of edge-sharing FeAs4
/4 tetrahedra are separated by perovskite-like oxide blocks. No structural transition occurs in the temperature range from 10 to 300 K. Magnetic measurements have revealed Curie-Weiss behavior with an effective magnetic moment of 7.79 muB per europium atom in agreement with the theoretical value of 7.94 muB for Eu2+. A drop in the magnetic susceptibility at 5 K indicates possible antiferromagnetic ordering. 151Eu and 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopic measurements have confirmed a beginning cooperative magnetic phenomenon by showing significantly broadened spectra at 4.8 K compared to those at 78 K.
The crystal structure of the layered iron arsenide Sr3Sc2O5Fe2As2 was determined between 300 and 10 K. The lattice parameters of the tetragonal cell decrease anisotropically according to delta(c)/c : delta(a)/a = 4.2, which results in a slight flatte
ning of the As-Fe-As bond angle within the FeAs layers. No indication of a structural instability could be detected. 57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopic data show a single signal at 4.2, 77, and 298 K, respectively, subjected to quadrupole splitting. The isomer shift increases from 0.36(1) mm/s at 298 K to 0.49(1) mm/s at 4.2 K. No indication for magnetic ordering was found.
