Copper substitution and mixed cation effect in Ag10Te 4Br3

Abstract

Ag10Te4Br3 is the first compound of this substance class, where covalent interactions in the tellurium substructure led to the formation of Peierls distorted linear chains, responsible for a strong modulation of the electronic structure. This compound represents the first example within a series of pnp switching compounds, where the interplay of mobile ions, in combination with the attractive interactions, created by partially covalent-bonded anion substructures defines a new substance class of resistivity switching phases. Herein, we report on the partial substitution of mobile copper ions into the cation substructure of cation conducting Ag 10Te4Br3. An X-ray powder phase analysis substantiated the continuous intake of copper in the title compound. Thermoanalytic investigations were performed to analyse the influence of two mobile species on the structural phase transitions of the polymorphic coinage metal (poly)telluride bromide. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.