Growth of large PdGa single crystals from the melt

Single crystal growth of PdGa which is a highly selective catalyst for the semi-hydrogenation of acetylene is reported for the first time. Bridgman as well as Czochralski methods were used starting from off-stoichiometric or congruent melting compositions. While Bridgman growth always resulted in polycrystalline ingots with individual grains restricted to a few millimeters in size, using the Czochralski technique from Ga-rich solutions allowed the growth of PdGa single crystals of several cubic centimeters.