Solvothermal Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Photocurrent Responses of Quaternary Sulfides Rbagzns2 and Cs2ag2zn2s4

Two new compounds RbAgZnS2 (1) and Cs2Ag2Zn2S4 (2) have been successfully synthesized under facile solvothermal method using excess sulfur as a mineralizer. Compound 1 contains anionic [AgZnS2](n)(n-) layers composed of MS4 (M = Ag/Zn) tetrahedra, in which Ag+ and Zn2+ ions occupy the same crystallographic site. In the structure of compound 2, the anionic [Ag2Zn2S4](n)(2n-) layer is composed of [AgS2](n)(n-) and [ZnS2](n)(2n-) anion chains which are generated by AgS4 and ZnS4 tetrahedra, respectively. The band gap values of the two compounds reveal that they are semiconductors. Furthermore, the photoelectric response experiment indicates compound 2 exhibits excellent photoelectric response performance.