US EPA

1015666 

Journal Article 

Na(2)EuAs(2)S(5), NaEuAsS(4), and Na(4)Eu(AsS(4))(2): Controlling the Valency of Arsenic in Polysulfide Fluxes 

Bera, TK; Kanatzidis, MG 

2012 

Yes 

Inorganic Chemistry
ISSN: 0020-1669
EISSN: 1520-510X 

51 

7 

4293-4299 

English 

22414216 

10.1021/ic202781c 

WOS:000302186600050 

The reactivity of europium with As species in Lewis basic alkali-metal polysulfide fluxes was investigated along with compound formation and the As(3+)/As(5+) interplay vis-à-vis changes in the flux basicity. The compound Na(2)EuAs(2)S(5) containing trivalent As(3+) is stabilized from an arsenic-rich polysulfide flux. It crystallizes in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space group P2(1)/c. Na(2)EuAs(2)S(5) has [As(2)S(5)](4-) units, built of corner sharing AsS(3) pyramids, which are coordinated to Eu(2+) ions to give a two-dimensional (2D) layered structure. A sodium polysulfide flux with comparatively less arsenic led to the As(5+) containing compounds NaEuAsS(4) (orthorhombic, Ama2) and Na(4)Eu(AsS(4))(2) (triclinic, P1) depending on Na(2)S/S ratio. The NaEuAsS(4) and Na(4)Eu(AsS(4))(2) have a three-dimensional (3D) structure built of [AsS(4)](3-) tetrahedra coordinated to Eu(2+) ions. All compounds are semiconductors with optical energy gaps of ∼2 eV.