Preparation of porous three-dimensional quaternary thioantimonates(III) ACuSb₂S₄ (A=Rb, Cs) through a surfactant-thermal method

Two novel porous three-dimensional quaternary thioantimonates(III) ACuSb₂S₄ (A=Rb, Cs) were successfully synthesized by employing the neutral surfactant PEG-400 (PEG=polyethyleneglycol) as reaction media, these are significantly different from the known quaternary A-Cu-Sb-S thioantimonates(III) with two-dimensional (2D) crystal structures. This is the first time that crystalline quaternary chalcogenides have been prepared in surfactant media. Both experimental and theoretical studies confirm they are semiconductors with narrow band gaps. Our results demonstrated that the surfactant-thermal strategy could offer a new opportunity to explore novel chalcogenides with diverse crystal structures and interesting physicochemical properties.