1
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Jafari A, Klobes B, Sergueev I, Moseley DH, Manley ME, Dronskowski R, Deringer VL, Stoffel RP, Bessas D, Chumakov AI, Rüffer R, Mahmoud A, Bridges CA, Daemen LL, Cheng Y, Ramirez-Cuesta AJ, Hermann RP. Phonon Spectroscopy in Antimony and Tellurium Oxides. J Phys Chem A 2020; 124:7869-7880. [PMID: 32894948 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.0c05060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
α-Sb2O3 (senarmontite), β-Sb2O3 (valentinite), and α-TeO2 (paratellurite) are compounds with pronounced stereochemically active Sb and Te lone pairs. The vibrational and lattice properties of each have been previously studied but often lead to incomplete or unreliable results due to modes being inactive in infrared or Raman spectroscopy. Here, we present a study of the relationship between bonding and lattice dynamics of these compounds. Mössbauer spectroscopy is used to study the structure of Sb in α-Sb2O3 and β-Sb2O3, whereas the vibrational modes of Sb and Te for each oxide are investigated using nuclear inelastic scattering, and further information on O vibrational modes is obtained using inelastic neutron scattering. Additionally, vibrational frequencies obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations are compared with experimental results in order to assess the validity of the utilized functional. Good agreement was found between DFT-calculated and experimental density of phonon states with a 7% scaling factor. The Sb-O-Sb wagging mode of α-Sb2O3 whose frequency was not clear in most previous studies is experimentally observed for the first time at ∼340 cm-1. Softer lattice vibrational modes occur in orthorhombic β-Sb2O3 compared to cubic α-Sb2O3, indicating that the antimony bonds are weakened upon transforming from the molecular α phase to the layer-chained β structure. The resulting vibrational entropy increase of 0.45 ± 0.1 kB/Sb2O3 at 880 K accounts for about half of the α-β transition entropy. The comparison of experimental and theoretical approaches presented here provides a detailed picture of the lattice dynamics in these oxides beyond the zone center and shows that the accuracy of DFT is sufficient for future calculations of similar material structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Jafari
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science JCNS and Peter Grünberg Institut PGI, JARA-FIT, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.,Faculté des Sciences, Université de Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Benedikt Klobes
- Bremerhaven Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven, An der Karlstadt 8, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ilya Sergueev
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Duncan H Moseley
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Michael E Manley
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Richard Dronskowski
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany.,Shenzhen Polytechnic, Hoffmann Institute of Advanced Materials, 7098 Liuxian Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China
| | - Volker L Deringer
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralf P Stoffel
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | - Rudolf Rüffer
- ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Abdelfattah Mahmoud
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science JCNS and Peter Grünberg Institut PGI, JARA-FIT, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Faculté des Sciences, Université de Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Craig A Bridges
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Luke L Daemen
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Yongqiang Cheng
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Anibal J Ramirez-Cuesta
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Raphael P Hermann
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science JCNS and Peter Grünberg Institut PGI, JARA-FIT, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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2
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Cheng Y, Cojocaru-Mirédin O, Keutgen J, Yu Y, Küpers M, Schumacher M, Golub P, Raty JY, Dronskowski R, Wuttig M. Understanding the Structure and Properties of Sesqui-Chalcogenides (i.e., V 2 VI 3 or Pn 2 Ch 3 (Pn = Pnictogen, Ch = Chalcogen) Compounds) from a Bonding Perspective. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1904316. [PMID: 31489721 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201904316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A number of sesqui-chalcogenides show remarkable properties, which make them attractive for applications as thermoelectrics, topological insulators, and phase-change materials. To see if these properties can be related to a special bonding mechanism, seven sesqui-chalcogenides (Bi2 Te3 , Bi2 Se3 , Bi2 S3 , Sb2 Te3 , Sb2 Se3 , Sb2 S3 , and β-As2 Te3 ) and GaSe are investigated. Atom probe tomography studies reveal that four of the seven sesqui-chalcogenides (Bi2 Te3 , Bi2 Se3 , Sb2 Te3 , and β-As2 Te3 ) show an unconventional bond-breaking mechanism. The same four compounds evidence a remarkable property portfolio in density functional theory calculations including large Born effective charges, high optical dielectric constants, low Debye temperatures and an almost metal-like electrical conductivity. These results are indicative for unconventional bonding leading to physical properties distinctively different from those caused by covalent, metallic, or ionic bonding. The experiments reveal that this bonding mechanism prevails in four sesqui-chalcogenides, characterized by rather short interlayer distances at the van der Waals like gaps, suggestive of significant interlayer coupling. These conclusions are further supported by a subsequent quantum-chemistry-based bonding analysis employing charge partitioning, which reveals that the four sesqui-chalcogenides with unconventional properties are characterized by modest levels of charge transfer and sharing of about one electron between adjacent atoms. Finally, the 3D maps for different properties reveal discernible property trends and enable material design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudong Cheng
- I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Oana Cojocaru-Mirédin
- I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jens Keutgen
- I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yuan Yu
- I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael Küpers
- Chair of Solid State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mathias Schumacher
- Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Pavlo Golub
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Jean-Yves Raty
- CESAM and Physics of Solids, Interfaces and Nanostructures, B5, Université de Liège, B4000, Sart-Tilman, Belgium
- UGA, CEA-LETI, MINATEC Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs, F38054, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Richard Dronskowski
- Chair of Solid State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA FIT and JARA HPC), RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Hoffmann Institute of Advanced Materials, Shenzhen Polytechnic, 7098 Liuxian Blvd, Shenzhen, China
| | - Matthias Wuttig
- I. Institute of Physics, Physics of Novel Materials, RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA FIT and JARA HPC), RWTH Aachen University, 52056, Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Institute: Energy-Efficient Information Technology (Green IT), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428, Jülich, Germany
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3
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Küpers M, Stoffel RP, Bong B, Herrmann MG, Li Z, Meledin A, Mayer J, Friese K, Dronskowski R. Preferred selenium incorporation and unexpected interlayer bonding in the layered structure of Sb2Te3−
x
Se
x. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR NATURFORSCHUNG SECTION B-A JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/znb-2019-0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
We have performed a detailed structural analysis of several crystals from the Sb2Te3
−
x
Se
x
solid solution (with x = 0–1.55) using a combination of single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope imaging combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic mapping. The experimental study was supported by quantum-chemical calculations. All compounds crystallize in the rhombohedral tetradymite structure type in which the atoms occupy three symmetrically independent crystallographic sites; the two chalcogenide sites A1 and A2, and the antimony site Sb. They form quintuple A2–Sb–A1–Sb–A2 layers perpendicular to the [001] direction, held together via A2–A2 chalcogenide-chalcogenide interactions. The results of our experimental study show unambiguously, and in agreement with quantum-chemical calculations, a preferred incorporation of selenium into the A2 position inside the layers. An unexpected increase of the van-der-Waals inter-layer distances is observed for low Se contents (x < 1) and discussed with the help of DFT calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Küpers
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
| | - Ralf Peter Stoffel
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
| | - Barbara Bong
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
| | - Markus G. Herrmann
- Jülich Center for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institute-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , 52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Zikang Li
- Jülich Center for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institute-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , 52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Alexander Meledin
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , 52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Joachim Mayer
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
- Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , 52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Karen Friese
- Jülich Center for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institute-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , 52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Richard Dronskowski
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-HPC) , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
- Hoffmann Institute of Advanced Materials, Shenzhen Polytechnic , 7098 Liuxian Blvd , Nanshan District, Shenzhen , P.R. China
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Gan CK, Chua KTE. Large thermal anisotropy in monoclinic niobium trisulfide: a thermal expansion tensor study. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2019; 31:265401. [PMID: 30917356 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab13f7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We present a method based on the Grüneisen formalism to calculate the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) tensor that is applicable to any crystal system, where the number of phonon calculations associated with different deformations scales linearly with the number of lattice parameters. Compared to simple high-symmetry systems such as cubic or hexagonal systems, a proper consideration of low-symmetry systems such as monoclinic or triclinic crystals demands a clear distinction between the TEC tensor and the lattice-parameter TECs along the crystallographic direction. The latter is more complicated and it involves integrating the equations of motion for the primitive lattice vectors, with input from the TEC tensor. A first-principles study of the TEC is carried out for the first time on a monoclinic crystal, where we unveil high TEC anisotropies in a recently reported monoclinic phase of niobium trisulfide (NbS3-IV) crystal with a relatively large primitive cell (32 atoms per cell) using density-functional theory. We find the occurrence of a negative TEC tensor component is largely due to the mechanical property rather than the anharmonic effect, contrary to common belief. Our theoretical treatment of the monoclinic system with a single off-diagonal tensor element could be routinely generalized to any crystal system, including the lowest-symmetry triclinic system with three off-diagonal tensor elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Kwan Gan
- Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis, Singapore 138632, Singapore
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5
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Herrmann MG, Stoffel RP, Küpers M, Ait Haddouch M, Eich A, Glazyrin K, Grzechnik A, Dronskowski R, Friese K. New insights on the GeSe xTe 1-x phase diagram from theory and experiment. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION B, STRUCTURAL SCIENCE, CRYSTAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS 2019; 75:246-256. [PMID: 32830750 DOI: 10.1107/s2052520619001847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The high-pressure and low-temperature behaviour of the GeSexTe1-x system (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.75, 1) was studied using a combination of powder diffraction measurements and first-principles calculations. Compounds in the stability field of the GeTe structure type (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5) follow the high-pressure transition pathway: GeTe-I (R3m) → GeTe-II (f.c.c.) → GeTe-III (Pnma). The newly determined GeTe-III structure is isostructural to β-GeSe, a high-pressure and high-temperature polymorph of GeSe. Pressure-dependent formation enthalpies and stability regimes of the GeSexTe1-x polymorphs were studied by DFT calculations. Hexagonal Ge4Se3Te is stable up to at least 25 GPa. Significant differences in the high-pressure and low-temperature behaviour of the GeTe-type structures and the hexagonal phase are highlighted. The role of Ge...Ge interactions is elucidated using the crystal orbital Hamilton population method. Finally, a sketch of the high-pressure phase diagram of the system is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Guido Herrmann
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institute-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Ralf Peter Stoffel
- Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, Aachen 52056, Germany
| | - Michael Küpers
- Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, Aachen 52056, Germany
| | - Mohammed Ait Haddouch
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institute-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Andreas Eich
- RWTH Aachen, Institute for Crystallography, Jägerstrasse 17-19, Aachen 52066, Germany
| | - Konstantin Glazyrin
- Photon Sciences, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Notkestrasse 85, Hamburg 22607, Germany
| | - Andrzej Grzechnik
- RWTH Aachen, Institute for Crystallography, Jägerstrasse 17-19, Aachen 52066, Germany
| | - Richard Dronskowski
- Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, Aachen 52056, Germany
| | - Karen Friese
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institute-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52428, Germany
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6
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Herrmann MG, Stoffel RP, Dronskowski R, Friese K. The low-temperature heat capacity of the Sb 2Te 3-x Se x solid solution from experiment and theory. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2018; 30:405702. [PMID: 30168444 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aade0e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The lattice dynamics of Sb2Te3-x Se x (x = 0, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 3) mixed crystals have been studied by a combination of low-temperature heat-capacity measurements between 2-300 K and first-principles calculations. The results from the experimental and theoretical investigations are in excellent agreement. While Sb2Se3 can be considered as a harmonic lattice oscillator in this temperature range, for the isostructural compounds Sb2Te3, Sb2Se0.6Te2.4, Sb2Se1.2Te1.8 and Sb2Se1.8Te1.2 (tetradymite structure type; R [Formula: see text] m) a small anharmonic contribution to the total heat capacity has to be taken into account at temperatures above 250 K. For the compounds which crystallize in the tetradymite structure type the experimental and theoretical data show unambiguously that the exchange of Te by Se leads to an increase of the bonding polarity and consequently to a hardening of the bonding which is reflected in an increase of the Debye temperatures with increasing Se contents. In addition, our studies clearly demonstrate that the mixed crystals in the stability field of the tetradymite structure type are characterized by a strong non-ideal mixing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Herrmann
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science-2/Peter Grünberg Institut-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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7
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Wang JJ, Xu YZ, Mazzarello R, Wuttig M, Zhang W. A Review on Disorder-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in Crystalline Vacancy-Rich GeSbTe Phase-Change Materials. MATERIALS 2017; 10:ma10080862. [PMID: 28773222 PMCID: PMC5578228 DOI: 10.3390/ma10080862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Metal-insulator transition (MIT) is one of the most essential topics in condensed matter physics and materials science. The accompanied drastic change in electrical resistance can be exploited in electronic devices, such as data storage and memory technology. It is generally accepted that the underlying mechanism of most MITs is an interplay of electron correlation effects (Mott type) and disorder effects (Anderson type), and to disentangle the two effects is difficult. Recent progress on the crystalline Ge₁Sb₂Te₄ (GST) compound provides compelling evidence for a disorder-driven MIT. In this work, we discuss the presence of strong disorder in GST, and elucidate its effects on electron localization and transport properties. We also show how the degree of disorder in GST can be reduced via thermal annealing, triggering a disorder-driven metal-insulator transition. The resistance switching by disorder tuning in crystalline GST may enable novel multilevel data storage devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Jing Wang
- Center for Advancing Materials Performance from the Nanoscale, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Ya-Zhi Xu
- Center for Advancing Materials Performance from the Nanoscale, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Riccardo Mazzarello
- Institute for Theoretical Solid-State Physics, JARA-FIT and JARA-HPC, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Matthias Wuttig
- Institute of Physics IA, JARA-FIT and JARA-HPC, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Center for Advancing Materials Performance from the Nanoscale, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
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8
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Zurhelle AF, Deringer VL, Stoffel RP, Dronskowski R. Ab initio lattice dynamics and thermochemistry of layered bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3). JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2016; 28:115401. [PMID: 26894844 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/11/115401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We present density-functional theory calculations of the lattice dynamics of bismuth telluride, yielding force constants, mean-square displacements and partial densities of phonon states which corroborate and complement previous nuclear inelastic scattering experiments. From these data, we derive an element- and energy-resolved view of the vibrational anharmonicity, quantified by the macroscopic Grüneisen parameter γ which results in 1.56. Finally, we calculate thermochemical properties in the quasiharmonic approximation, especially the heat capacity at constant pressure and the enthalpy of formation for bismuth telluride; the latter arrives at ΔHf (Bi2Te3) = -102 kJ mol(-1) at 298 K.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F Zurhelle
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
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9
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Deringer VL, Stoffel RP, Wuttig M, Dronskowski R. Vibrational properties and bonding nature of Sb 2Se 3 and their implications for chalcogenide materials. Chem Sci 2015; 6:5255-5262. [PMID: 29449929 PMCID: PMC5669248 DOI: 10.1039/c5sc00825e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
There is more to chemical bonding in chalcogenides than the shortest, strongest bonds, as revealed by microscopic quantum-chemical descriptors.
Antimony selenide (antimonselite, Sb2Se3) is a versatile functional material with emerging applications in solar cells. It also provides an intriguing prototype to study different modes of bonding in solid chalcogenides, all within one crystal structure. In this study, we unravel the complex bonding nature of crystalline Sb2Se3 by using an orbital-based descriptor (the crystal orbital Hamilton population, COHP) and by analysing phonon properties and interatomic force constants. We find particularly interesting behaviour for the medium-range Sb···Se contacts, which still contribute significant stabilisation but are much softer than the “traditional” covalent bonds. These results have implications for the assembly of Sb2Se3 nanostructures, and bond-projected force constants appear as a useful microscopic descriptor for investigating a larger number of chalcogenide functional materials in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker L Deringer
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , Landoltweg 1 , 52056 Aachen , Germany .
| | - Ralf P Stoffel
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , Landoltweg 1 , 52056 Aachen , Germany .
| | - Matthias Wuttig
- Institute of Physics IA , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-FIT and JARA-HPC) , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
| | - Richard Dronskowski
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , RWTH Aachen University , Landoltweg 1 , 52056 Aachen , Germany . .,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-FIT and JARA-HPC) , RWTH Aachen University , 52056 Aachen , Germany
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