A QUATERNARY ThCr2Si2 TYPE STRUCTURE: CRYSTAL GROWTH OF KCuZnTe2 FROM MOLTEN SALT

KCuZnTe 2, a quaternary layered metal telluride, was synthesized from a potassium polytelluride flux at 450°C. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the structure of this compound belongs to tetragonal crystal system, space group I4/mmm (no. 139). The unit cell parameters are: a = 4.269(1) Å, c = 14.912(2) Å, V = 271.76(10) Å 3, Z = 2. Direct synthesis at 650°C produced a yield of approximately 25%. KCuZnTe 2 is one of only a few quaternary mixed-metal tellurides having the ThCr 2Si 2-type structure. It is composed of (CuZnTe 2) - layers and K + cations located between the layers. Cu and Zn form a mixed-metal square lattice within each layer by sharing the same crystallographic site. KCuZnTe 2 is electron precise and is therefore most likely a semiconducting material.