As part of an ongoing effort to better understand the structure-property relationships in intermetallic compounds containing metals/semimetals with different electronegativities, we focused our attention on the ternary A�M�Pn systems (A = alkali or alkaline-earth metals, M = Cu, Zn, Cd, Pn = pnictogen, i.e., group 15 elements). Recent experimental work carried out by our group led to the discovery of several new classes of d-metal based compounds. Common features in the structures of all of these are the M-centered tetrahedra MPn4, which are interconnected through shared corners or edges to form chains, ribbons, or layers with complex topologies. These systems present a case where a strikingly delicate balance between the packing efficiency (size effects) and the valence electron concentration (electronic effects) governs the stability of a particular arrangement over another. The structural relationship between these and some well-known structures with two-dimensional layers or three-dimensional four-connected nets will be discussed as well.

Novel Zintl phases with group 15 elements and late d-metals

245th National Meeting (2013)

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