Solid State Synthesis at Intermediate Temperature of KZrQ_6 (Q=Se,Te)

The new ternary metal chalcogenides, KZrSe6 and KZrTe6, were synthesized by the reactive fiux method at intermediate temperature. The reaction of Zr metal with K2Se3/Q (the mole ratio K2Se3:Zr:Q=1:1:5, Q=Se, Te) at 500℃ for 5 days leads the formation of the title compounds. Both KZrSe6 and KZrTe6 crystals are black needles. They have some characterastics of thermodynamically metastable phases.