Phys.org April 3, 2024
An international team of researchers (Austria, Sweden, Canada, Finland) grew crystals of CoTeO4 crystals by the application of chemical vapor transport reactions in closed silica ampoules, starting from polycrystalline material in a temperature gradient with TeCl4 as transport agent. Crystal structure analysis of CoTeO4 showed noticeable improvement over the statistical significance and accuracy of the previously reported structural model. CoTeO4 did not undergo a structural phase transition upon heating, but decomposed stepwise (Co2Te3O8 as intermediate phase) to Co3TeO6 as the only crystalline phase stable above 770 °C. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and dielectric measurements suggested antiferromagnetic ordering at ∼50 K. Optical absorption spectroscopy and computational studies revealed wide-band semiconductive behavior for CoTeO4. The band gap of ∼2.42 eV was found for CdS, which is frequently used in photovoltaic systems but is hazardous to the environment. According to the researchers CoTeO4 might be a possible candidate to replace CdS… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
X-ray powder diffraction patterns of single-phase CoTeO4… Credit: Materials Advances, 2024, Vol 5, 3001-3013, 2024