B03

Based on our expertise in diverse and innovative approaches to materials synthesis and chemistry, we strive to prepare bulk magnetic carbides that belong to the family of MAX phases. The starting point and initial model system is Cr-based (and Mn-doped) ternary (quaternary) solids where we will apply wet chemical methods as well as microwave heating and mechanical alloying. An optimization process based on X-ray powder diffraction allows identification of suitable synthesis parameters of these highly flexible (and partially nonequilibrium) techniques resulting in materials that areinvestigated in detail in terms of their local and bulk magnetic properties as well as their microstructure. The main focus is to develop bulk MAX phases that show tunable magnetocaloric responses.