The single crystals of Cr5Si3, CrSi and CrSi2 were prepared by the reaction between elementary chromium and silicon in molten tin under an argon atmosphere.
The conditions for the preparation are as follows: temperature of molten tin, 1400°C; reaction time, 10 h; mixing atomic ratios of raw materials, Si/Cr =- O.6 and Sn/Cr =6.4 for Cr5Si3, Si/Cr=1.0 and Sn/Cr =6.4 for CrSi, and Si/Cr=2.0 and Sn/Cr=6.4 for CrSi2. Under these conditions, the Cr5Si3 single crystals of polyhedral shape and of needle shape extending to‹100› direction, the CrSi single crystal of polyhedral shape and the CrSi2 single crystal of hexagonal prismatic shape extending to ‹0001› direction were obtained as a single phase, respectively. Each crystal exhibited grayish metallic appearance. Lattice constants measured are as follows: c0=9, 155± O.002Å and ao=4.636+ 0.003Å for Cr5Si3, a0 =4.626±0.002Å for CrSi, and c0 =4.426 ± 0.002Å and c0=6.375± 0.002Å for CrSi2.