Synthesis and Structure of Quasi-One-Dimensional Niobium Tetrasulfide NbS4

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry 2022-02, Vol.61 (6), p.2783-2789
• Main Authors: Poltarak, Anastasiia, Poltarak, Pavel, Enyashin, Andrey, Komarov, Vladislav, Artemkina, Sofya, Fedorov, Vladimir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-1669; 1520-510X
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c03079

The binary niobium sulfide NbS4 was synthesized as a crystalline phase. We showed that NbS4 can be formed from Nb metal, from defect niobium sulfide Nb1.14S2, or from some other niobium dichalcogenides in reactions with excess sulfur in an evacuated ampule at 440 °C. The crystal structure of NbS4 (monoclinic space group C2/c, a = 13.126(2) Å, b = 10.454(1) Å, c = 6.951(1) Å, β = 111.939(5)°) is a packing of infinite chains {NbS4}1∞, analogous to VS4. In the chains, Nb atoms are in a tetragonal-antiprismatic coordination of sulfur atoms of disulfide groups (S2)2–; short Nb···Nb contacts (2.896 Å) alternating with longer ones (3.278 Å) appear within the chains at 150 K. According to density functional theory calculations, NbS4 is a thermodynamically stable compound, a nonmagnetic semiconductor. NbS4 is a new member of the family of quazi-one-dimensional compounds, group 5 metal polychalcogenides, well-known for their interesting electrophysical properties. The synthesis and crystal structure as well as the thermal stability and lattice dynamics of NbS4 are discussed here.