Abstract
A new ternary transition-metal selenide, Ta2Ni3Se8 has been synthesized from a eutectic halide flux. The structure of this phase has been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic system (D2h9-Pbam, a= 14.788(4) Å, b= 10.467(3) Å, c=3.4563(8) Å) with two formula units in the unit cell. This compound adopts the Nb2Pd3Se8 structure type. Hence, there are two chains of edge-sharing selenium trigonal prisms centered by tantalum atoms and these chains are interconnected through two kinds of nickel atoms. Nickel occupies both square planar and square pyramidal sites as does palladium in Nb2Pd3Se8. Electrical conductivity measurements indicate that this material is semiconducting.