| Abstract
| - We have demonstrated that Ag+ can be partially substituted for Na+ in the ternary Na−Ge−Se system where a Ge−Se network represents a well-defined building block. A series of Ag-substituted pseudoquaternary compounds with the compositions AgxNa(8-x)Ge4Se10 and AgxNa(6-x)Ge2Se7 have been prepared by solid-state routes and characterized by X-ray crystallography, UV−vis, and Raman spectroscopy. In the former, Ge4Se108- is a 6-membered chairlike building unit, while in the later, Ge2Se76- is a corner-shared dimer of GeSe4 tetrahedra.
- A new family of Ag-substituted pseudoquaternary alkali-seleno-germanates has been synthesized by two solid-state routes: the conventional flux method and metathesis. This family includes a series of semiconductors withvarying amounts of Ag+ substituted for Na+ in Na8Ge4Se10 to form AgxNa(8-x)Ge4Se10, [x = 0.31 (I), 0.67 (II), 0.77(III), 0.87 (IV), 1.05 (V), 1.09 (VI)] and another phase with a different composition AgxNa(6-x)Ge2Se7 (x = 1.76),VII, related to Na6Ge2Se7. In I−VI, Ge4Se108- constitutes a 6-membered chairlike unit with a Ge−Ge bond, whilein VII, a corner-shared dimer of GeSe4 tetrahedra (Ge2Se76-) acts as the building unit. The single-crystal structureanalysis indicates that there is a phase transition from P1̄ to C2/c, in changing from pure Na8Ge4Se10 to AgxNa(8-x)Ge4Se10 (I−VI), while there is no phase transition between pure Na6Ge2Se7 and AgxNa(6-x)Ge2Se7 (x = 1.76). Thestructures of I−VI may be described in terms of layers of cubic close-packed Se2- anions. In between the Selayers, octahedral holes fully occupied by Na+ and mixed Ag+/Na+ cations alternate with layers formed of octahedralholes fully occupied by Na+ and Ge26+ cations. Two adjacent Ge26+ cations form a chairlike Ge4Se108- anion inwhich Ge−Ge bonds are oriented almost parallel to the Se layers. In contrast, VII does not have close-packedanions. Corner-shared GeSe4 tetrahedra (Ge2Se76- dimer) and AgSe4 tetrahedra form layers that are cross-linkedby Na/AgSe4 tetrahedra to form a 3-dimensional (3-D) structure. An optical property investigation indicates a redshift in the band gap of AgxNa(8-x)Ge4Se10 (x = 0.67)(II) as compared to that of pure Na8Ge4Se10. Raman data alsoindicate a red shift of the Ge−Se stretching mode in the Ag+-substituted phase II (x = 0.67) compared to that ofNa8Ge4Se10.
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