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We have studied phase equilibria in the silicon-rich part of the Yb–Pt–Si system. To this end, 22 alloys were prepared by a standard arc-melting process in an argon atmosphere and annealed at a temperature of 850°C. Physicochemical characterization of the samples included electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential thermal analysis. We have confirmed the existence of four previously known intermetallic compounds: YbPtSi, YbPt2Si2, Yb3Pt4Si6, and Yb2Pt3Si5. In addition, three new phases have been identified: YbPtSi2, Yb33Pt17Si50, and Yb11Pt33Si56. The structure type of the YbPtSi2 compound has been determined. We present statistical crystallographic data for the ternary phases and describe phase equilibria in the region studied in the 850°C isothermal section of the Yb–Pt–Si phase diagram.

Magnetic ordering in solid solutions of Cex(Gd,Pr,Nd,La)1-xNi is studied by measuring the DC magnetization and the AC susceptibility in the temperature range of 1.8–300 K. The valence state of ceriumions in Cex(Gd,Pr,Nd,La)1-xNi quasibinary systems is studied based on X-ray absorption spectra measured at synchrotron-radiation sources in the temperature range of 5–300 K. It is shown that chemical pressure and lowering the temperature help heighten the degree of delocalization of the 4f electrons of cerium in Cex(Gd, Nd, Pr)1-xNi systems. It is found that the substitution of magnetic ions (Gd, Pr, and Nd) with cerium results in significantly weaker magnetic-ordering suppression than the substitution of these ions with lanthanum at equal concentrations. The obtained data reveal the strong influence of cerium electrons on localized magnetism in the studied compounds. This effect is most probably associated with the contribution of partially delocalized 4f electrons of cerium to the exchange interaction.

We have studied chemical interaction of the intermetallic compound NdRh3 with hydrogen at pressures of up to 0.2 GPa. The structural changes in the intermetallic matrix in different stages of the hydrogenation process have been followed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The results demonstrate that hydrogen absorption leads to an irreversible change in lattice symmetry from hexagonal to cubic.

The dynamic magnetic response of the intermediate-valence compound EuCu2Si2 has been studied using inelastic neutron scattering. At low temperatures, strong renormalization of the 7F0 → 7F1 spin-orbit transition energy is detected; it is likely to be related to partial delocalization of the f electrons of Eu. An increase in the temperature increases the valence instability of europium and results in further changes in the magnetic excitation spectrum parameters and the appearance of an intense quasi-elastic component.