Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.54, No.7, 3688-3694, 2015
Three New Quaternary Actinide Chalcogenides Ba2TiUTe7, Ba2CrUTe7, and Ba2CrThTe7: Syntheses, Crystal Structures, Transport Properties, and Theoretical Studies
The three new quaternary actinide chalcogenides Ba2TiUTe7, Ba2CrUTe7, and Ba2CrThTe7 have been synthesized. From single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies these isostructural compounds are found to crystallize in a new structure type in space group D-2h(16)-Pnma of the orthorhombic system. The structure features (1)(infinity)[MAnTe(7)(4-)] strips (M = Cr or Ti; An = Th or U) that propagate in the b-direction and are separated by Ba cations. An atoms are coordinated to eight Te atoms in a bicapped trigonal-prismatic geometry while M atoms are octahedrally coordinated to six Te atoms. Sharing of the AnTe(8) and MTe6 polyhedra forms (1)(infinity)[MAnTe(7)(4-)] strips. The presence of the infinite linear Te-Te-Te chains in these compounds makes assignment of oxidation states arbitrary. Resistivity measurements and DFT calculations provide further insight into the properties of these compounds.