Superconductivity of MRhGe2 (M = Zr, Hf)

New superconducting intermetallic compounds with a chemical formula of MRhGe2 (<F>M=Zr</F>, Hf) were discovered, and their crystallographic, magnetic, and electric properties were investigated. MRhGe2 crystallizes in an orthorhombic TiMnSi2 structure of space group Pbam and shows a superconducting transition at about 3 K. The magnetic susceptibility measurement indicated bulk superconductivity of MRhGe2. The superconducting parameters of MRhGe2 (<F>M=Zr</F>, Hf) indicate that they are type-II superconductors in the category of the BCS theory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]