New Barium Copper Chalcogenides Synthesized Using Two Different Chalcogen Atoms: Ba₂Cu_6–<i>x</i>STe₄ and Ba₂Cu_6–<i>x</i>Se_<i>y</i>Te_5–<i>y</i>

Abstract

Ba(2)Cu(6-x)STe(4) and Ba(2)Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y) were prepared from the elements in stoichiometric ratios at 1123 K, followed by slow cooling. These chalcogenides are isostructural, adopting the space group Pbam (Z = 2), with lattice dimensions of a = 9.6560(6) Å, b = 14.0533(9) Å, c = 4.3524(3) Å, and V = 590.61(7) Å(3) in the case of Ba(2)Cu(5.53(3))STe(4). A significant phase width was observed in the case of Ba(2)Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y) with at least 0.17(3) ≤ x ≤ 0.57(4) and 0.48(1) ≤ y ≤ 1.92(4). The presence of either S or Se in addition to Te appears to be required for the formation of these materials. In the structure of Ba(2)Cu(6-x)STe(4), Cu-Te chains running along the c axis are interconnected via bridging S atoms to infinite layers parallel to the a,c plane. These layers alternate with the Ba atoms along the b axis. All Cu sites exhibit deficiencies of up to 26%. Depending on y in Ba(2)Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y), the bridging atom is either a Se atom or a Se/Te mixture when y ≤ 1, and the Te atoms of the Cu-Te chains are partially replaced by Se when y > 1. All atoms are in their most common oxidation states: Ba(2+), Cu(+), S(2-), Se(2-), and Te(2-). Without Cu deficiencies, these chalcogenides were computed to be small gap semiconductors; the Cu deficiencies lead to p-doped semiconducting properties, as experimentally observed on selected samples.