The Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Properties of Bichalcogenides

Abstract

Among inorganic materials in either practical usage or scientific interest today, the majority include a single anion in their composition, usually oxygen. A scarcely explored alternative to this common approach, which has grown in popularity in recent years, are the multianion compounds. As the name implies, these refers to compounds which include multiple anion species into their crystal structure. This allows for unique possibilities with regards to their crystal structures, and by extension, their properties. The topic of this PhD thesis is concerned with the study of a single subcategory of the multianions, the bichalcogenides, focusing on compounds which incorporate the oxide-sulfide and sulfide-telluride anion pairs. This work reports the discovery of thirteen new bichalcogenide compounds, their compositions and crystal structures, of which five have been investigated in detail. We provide new insights into the characteristics of the bichalcogenides, contributing to the foundation for developing the materials of the future.