Remarkable metal-rich ternary chalcogenides Sc14M3Te8 (M = Ru, Os).

In this novel motif, scandium atoms define infinite parallel chains of alternate trans-face-sharing cubes and pairs of square antiprisms in which each polyhedron is also centered by an M atom (M = Ru, Os). These chains are further linked into a three-dimensional structure by Sc(Te2Te4/2) octahedra. Physical property measurements show Sc14Ru3Te8 to be metallic and Pauli-paramagnetic, consistent with the results of extended Hückel band structure calculations. Matrix effects are evident in the dimensions within the chains. The major interactions are Sc-M and Sc-Te.