Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 March 2012
Single-phase (Ho0.50Ca0.50)MnO3 has been successfully prepared by means of solid state reaction at high temperature. Its crystal structure, as well as those of Cr-doped samples(Ho1−xCax)(Mn1−yCry)O3, has been refined by the Rietveld method, using X-ray powder diffraction data. All the examined compounds crystallize in the Pnma space group with a distorted perovskite-type structure. The distortion of the BO6 octahedra, due to the Jahn–Teller Mn3+ ionic species, decreases with the Cr content. Bond valence sum calculations were carried out using the refined results.