Synthesis, crystal structure and properties of K2Ta2S10: A novel ternary tantalum polysulfide with TaS8 polyhedra forming infinite anionic chains

The new ternary alkali tantalum polysulfide K2Ta2S10 has been synthesized by reacting TaS2 with an in situ formed melt of K2S3 and S at 773 K. The compound crystallizes with four formula units in the monoclinic space group P21/n (No. 14) with lattice parameters of a=14.9989(13)Å,b=6.4183(4)Å,c=15.1365(13)Å,β=117.629(9)°. The structure contains two different zigzag chain anions [TaS5]−, running parallel to the crystallographic b-axis separated by potassium cations. The two crystallographically independent tantalum atoms are in a distorted bi-capped trigonal prismatic environment of eight sulfur atoms which was never observed before. The TaS8 polyhedra share three S atoms on each side to form the anionic chains. The compound was characterized with FIR and Raman spectroscopy.