What Is The Structure Of Sodium Telluride?

Sodium telluride (Na2Te) is an ionic compound that consists of sodium cations (Na+) and telluride anions (Te2-). The structure of Na2Te can be described as a crystal lattice where each sodium ion is surrounded by six telluride ions and each telluride ion is surrounded by six sodium ions. This arrangement is known as a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure.

In the FCC structure, the sodium ions occupy the corners of a cube, while the telluride ions are located at the centers of each face of the cube. The sodium ions are arranged in a way that creates a three-dimensional network of octahedral voids that are occupied by the telluride ions.

The overall charge of Na2Te is neutral because the number of positive charges from the sodium ions (2+) is balanced by the number of negative charges from the telluride ions (2-). The ionic bond between the two species is formed through the transfer of electrons from sodium to tellurium, resulting in the formation of Na+ and Te2- ions.

Overall, the structure of sodium telluride can be described as a highly ordered arrangement of positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged telluride ions held together by strong electrostatic forces.