What Is The Crystal Structure Of Silver Thioantimonate?

Silver thioantimonate, also known as Ag3SbS3, has a crystal structure that belongs to the orthorhombic system. The unit cell of silver thioantimonate consists of eight formula units and has lattice parameters of a = 10.457 Å, b = 11.509 Å, and c = 6.573 Å.

The crystal structure of silver thioantimonate can be described as a layered structure with each layer consisting of SbS3 trigonal pyramids and AgS4 tetrahedra. The layers are stacked along the b-axis with weak van der Waals forces between them. The SbS3 pyramids share edges and form infinite chains running parallel to the a-axis. The AgS4 tetrahedra link adjacent SbS3 chains together forming a two-dimensional network in the ab-plane.

The coordination environment around the silver atom in Ag3SbS3 is a distorted tetrahedron. The Ag-S bond lengths range from 2.34 to 2.54 Å. The sulfur atoms in AgS4 tetrahedra are coordinated to four silver ions, while the antimony atoms in SbS3 pyramids are only coordinated to three sulfur atoms. This leads to an imbalance in the charges, resulting in the formation of Ag+ and Sb3+ ions.

Overall, the crystal structure of silver thioantimonate is characterized by its layered arrangement of SbS3 pyramids and AgS4 tetrahedra, which give rise to unique physical and electronic properties.