Aluminium Selenide
Aluminium selenide is a chemical compound composed of aluminium and selenium with the chemical formula Al2Se3. It is a gray to black solid that is insoluble in water. Aluminium selenide belongs to the family of binary ionic compounds, which are formed by the combination of a metal cation and a nonmetal anion.
In terms of its crystal structure, aluminium selenide has a rhombohedral lattice system with space group R-3m. The unit cell of aluminium selenide contains six formula units and has a lattice parameter of approximately 9.2 Å. Its crystal structure can be described as layers of edge-sharing AlSe6 octahedra, which are stacked along the c-axis direction.
Aluminium selenide can be prepared through the reaction between aluminium and selenium at high temperatures, typically above 800°C. It can also be synthesized via chemical vapor transport using hydrogen selenide as the transport agent.
Aluminium selenide exhibits semiconducting properties and has potential applications in optoelectronics and photovoltaics. However, due to its toxicity and pyrophoric nature, it requires careful handling and disposal.