Synthesis and novel attributes of metal chalcogenides

Abstract

Chalcogenides constitute one of the most important classes in the field of chemistry, exhibiting rich compositional and structural diversity on par with oxides and organic compounds. Chalcogenides are compounds that contain at least one chalcogen Q atom (Q = S, Se, Te) in a chemically reduced state compared to its elemental form. Chalcogenides bear few chemical resemblances to oxides, but there are also big dissimilarities in chemical character and physical properties among them which are significant enough to warrant a separate treatment of the chalcogenides as a distinct class of materials.