Crystal Chemistry and Crystal Growth of Rare-Earth Borides

Most of the experimental results presented in this book would not have been possible to obtain without high-quality single-crystalline samples. The history of chemical synthesis and single-crystal growth of some families of rare-earth borides extends over 80 years, whereas the growth of some other compounds represents a challenge even at the present time. This chapter discusses the main aspects of the crystal chemistry of rare-earth borides and summarizes the existing experience in their single-crystal growth and the associated challenges. It focuses on the benefits and drawbacks of different crystal-growth methods and on resulting specifics of the quality of single crystals in terms of their size, composition, purity, homogeneity, and other parameters that may turn out to be crucial for the results of most modern physical characterization methods.