Synthesis, Structure, Te Alloying, and Physical Properties of CuSbS2.

Materials with very low thermal conductivities continue to be of interest for a variety of applications. We synthesized CuSbS2 employing a mechanical alloying technique in order to investigate its physical properties. The trigonal pyramid arrangement of the S atoms around the Sb atoms allows for lone-pair electron formation that results in very low thermal conductivity. In addition to thermal properties, the structural, electrical, and optical properties, as well as compositional stability measurements, are also discussed. CuSbS1.8Te0.2 was similarly synthesized and characterized in order to compare its structural and transport properties with that of CuSbS2, in addition to investigating the effect of Te alloying on these properties.