Copper substitutions in synthetic miargyrite α-AgSbS2 mineral: Synthesis, characterization and dielectrical properties

•Ag0.8Cu0.2SbS2 and Ag0.7Cu0.3SbS2 are isostructural with the natural miargyrite α-AgSbS2 mineral.•The overall resistance correspond to grain boundary and electrode/sample interface responses.•In these solid solutions no ferroelectric-like transition is noticed.•The overall frequency dependence follows the Jonscher's universal power law.•σac vs. frequency can be normalized by Summerfield scaling procedure.

The nominal compositions Ag0.8Cu0.2SbS2 and Ag0.7Cu0.3SbS2 have been synthesized by conventional ceramic solid-state reaction at high temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy chemical analysis (SEM-EDAX) revealed single phases, isostructural to the natural miargyrite α-AgSbS2 mineral. Examination of the lattice parameters shows a decrease in the cell volume with increasing copper substitutions. The Raman analysis displays absorptions which may be assigned to the Sb–S stretching vibrations of the SbS3 pyramids. The impedance-frequency analysis showed grain boundary and electrode interface contributions in non-Debye type relaxation, following Jonscher's universal power law. The giant permittivity response is attributed to extrinsic effects without evidence of a ferroelectric transition. Summerfield scaling, leading to the superposition of impedance analysis, implies that the relaxation is thermally activated, without introducing more than one underlying transport mechanism.