Synthesis,\nCrystal and Electronic Structures, and\nMagnetic and Electrical Transport Properties of Bismuthides NdZn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub> and (La<sub>0.5</sub>RE<sub>0.5</sub>)Zn<sub>0.6&lt

Bismuth is a good constituent element for many quantum\nmaterials\ndue to its large atomic number, 6s<sup>2</sup>6p<sup>3</sup> orbitals,\nand strong spin–orbital coupling. In this work, three new bismuthides,\nNdZn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub>, (La<sub>0.5</sub>Pr<sub>0.5</sub>)Zn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub>, and (La<sub>0.5</sub>Nd<sub>0.5</sub>)Zn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub>, were grown by a metal flux method,\nand their crystal structures were accurately determined by single-crystal\nX-ray diffraction. These new bismuthides belong to the RE-T-Pn<sub>2</sub> (RE = La–Lu, T = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, or Zn, and Pn = P,\nAs, Sb, or Bi) family, are isostructural, and crystallize in the HfCuSi<sub>2</sub> structure type. The bismuth elements have two possible oxidation\nstates, Bi<sup>3–</sup> and Bi<sup>–</sup>, which were\nstudied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Two binding energy\npeaks of 155.91 and 161.23 eV were observed for Bi atoms within NdZn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub>, and similar binding energy peaks were detected\nin NdBi and LiBi. XPS also confirmed the trivalent nature of Nd, which\nwas further verified by magnetic measurements. Additionally, magnetic\nmeasurements revealed that NdZn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub> exhibits\nan antiferromagnetic transition around 3 K, while the mixed-cation\ncompounds do not show any magnetic transition down to 2 K. Electronic\ntransport measurements reveal weak magnetoresistance in all three\ncompounds, with a maximum value of ∼25% at 2 K and 9 T for\n(La<sub>0.5</sub>Nd<sub>0.5</sub>)Zn<sub>0.6</sub>Bi<sub>2</sub>.