SYNTHESIS AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF AGTEI

AgTeI was obtained from stoichiometric amounts of silver and tellurium in hydroiodic acid (67%) under hydrothermal conditions, The compound crystallizes orthorhombic (space group Fddd, Z = 32, lattice constants : a = 4.868(1) Angstrom, b = 25.00(1) Angstrom, c = 25.73(1) Angstrom) ; the refinement converged at R = 0.045 (for F-obs greater than or equ al to 4 sigma(F)). The crystal structure of AgTeI is very closely rela ted to that of the copper telluride halides CuTeX (X = Cl, Br, I). The crystal structure contains two characteristic building units: one-dim ensional infinite screws of tellurium atoms and one-dimensional infini te chains of edge sharing silver tetrahedra centered by silver atoms.