DOE OSTI2020
HfCo3 is beta Cu3Ti-like structured and crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Hf is bonded to twelve Co atoms to form HfCo12 cuboctahedra that share corners with six equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, edges with eighteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, faces with eight equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra. There are six shorter (2.67 Å) and six longer (2.69 Å) Hf–Co bond lengths. There are three inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co is bonded to four equivalent Hf and eight Co atoms to form distorted CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, corners with fourteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, and faces with sixteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra. There are a spread of Co–Co bond distances ranging from 2.48–2.85 Å. In the second Co site, Co is bonded to four equivalent Hf and eight equivalent Co atoms to form distorted CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, corners with fourteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve equivalent CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, and faces with sixteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra. In the third Co site, Co is bonded to four equivalent Hf and eight equivalent Co atoms to form distorted CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, corners with fourteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve equivalent CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent HfCo12 cuboctahedra, and faces with sixteen CoHf4Co8 cuboctahedra.