Site occupancy wave and unprecedented infinite zigzag (Te2-2)n chains in the flat Te nets of the new ternary rare earth telluride family ALn3Te8

Rhonda Patschke, Joy Heising, Jon Schindler, Carl R. Kannewurf, Mercouri Kanatzidis*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

The three isostructural compounds CsCe3Te8, RbCe3Te8, and KNd3Te8 were synthesized from the reaction of elemental copper and lanthanides in a molten alkali metal/polytelluride flux. They crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/a (No. 14) with a = 9.057(2) Å, b = 12.996(3) Å, c = 14.840(3) Å, β= 98.74(2)°, V =1726.4(7) Å3, and Z= 4 for CsCe3Te8; a = 9.051(2) Å, b = 12.996(3) Å, c = 14.376(3) Å, β= 98.87(2)°, V = 1670.8(7) Å3, and Z= 4 for RbCe3Te8; and a = 8.956(1) Å, b = 12.836(2) Å, c = 13.856(3) Å, β= 99.42(1)°, V = 1571.3(3) Å3, and Z = 4 for KNd3Te8. The structure of all three compounds can be described as a defect NdTe3 type, consisting of an anionic Ln3Te8 layer that is charge balanced with A+ cations. The anionic layer contains a square Te lattice net with an unprecedented ordered defect pattern site occupancy wave. Variable-temperature electrical conductivity and thermopower measurements are reported.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)111-115
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Solid State Chemistry
Volume135
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1998

Funding

Financial support from the National Science Foundation (Grants DMR-9527347 (M.G.K.) and DMR-9622025 (C.R.K.)) is gratefully acknowledged. M.G.K. is a Henry Dreyfus Teacher—Scholar (1993—1998). This work made use of the SEM and TEM facilities of the Center for Electron Optics at Michigan State University.

Keywords

  • Conductivity
  • Flux synthesis
  • Polytelluride
  • Rare earth
  • Thermopower

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry

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