Syntheses, crystal and electronic structures, and physical properties of two quaternary chalcogenides: La(4)FeSb(2)Q(10) (Q = S, Se).

Two new quaternary chalcogenides, La(4)FeSb(2)S(10) and La(4)FeSb(2)Se(10), have been synthesized from the stoichiometric mixture of elements by solid-state reactions at 1100 degrees C. The compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pbcm with a = 15.066(4) A, b = 7.590(2) A, c = 13.341(4) A, and Z = 4 and a = 15.596(5) A, b = 7.869(2) A, c = 13.960(4) A, and Z = 4, respectively. These structures represent an unique three-dimensional network, in which SbQ(3) trigonal pyramids (Sb-S < 2.60 A, Sb-Se < 2.80 A) are connected via a relatively weak Sb-Q bond (Sb-S approximately 2.90 A, Sb-Se approximately 3.00 A) in a novel teeter-totter (SbQ(4))(n) chain motif. The theoretical studies confirm the Sb-Q bonding interactions within such teeter-totter chains. Their optical band gaps are measured to be 1.00 and 0.85 eV. At room temperature, their electrical conductivities are about 10(-4) S/cm. Both compounds display antiferromagnetic interactions between Fe centers, and their effective magnetic moments are 5.25 and 6.17 micro(B), respectively.