Synthesis and polymorphism of a new phase 1D chalcogenide M2N3X8 structure based on the periodic table: Ta2Ni3S8 with a tetragonal structure

Abstract

For the first time, a new structure of Ta2Ni3S8, one of the family systems of M2N3X8, a recently studied one-dimensional chalcogenide material, was synthesized. Unlike Ta2Ni3S8 in the orthorhombic phase, which is known to have semiconductor properties, Ta2Ni3S8 in the tetragonal phase displayed metallic material properties. Structural analysis through X-ray diffraction confirmed that the tetragonal Ta2Ni3S8 (T-Ta2Ni3S8) had the same structure as the tetragonal Ta2Ni3Se8 (T-Ta2Ni3Se8), a material with an S- and Se- substitution; the only difference was the lattice constant. Additionally, different elemental analyses were used to confirm that the ratio of Ta:Ni:S elements was 2:3:8. This study is significant as basic research that can be applied to various electronic devices by applying bandgap tuning and lattice-matched electrode design based on M2N3X8 family material.