POTASSIUM AND SODIUM FILLED SKUTTERUDITES

摘要

Interstitial voids of the cubic CoSb₃ type skutterudite structure can be filled with sodium and/or potassium atoms. Such filled skutterudites have the general formulas, K_yCo₄Sb₁₂ and Na_yCO₄Sb₁₂, where y indicates the filling fraction of potassium and sodium, respectively, in the CoSb₃ cubic crystal structure, and has a value greater than zero and less than one. Also sodium- filled and/or potassium-filled skutterudites of the general formula, (K, Na)_y T₄ Pn₁₂ are made, where T denotes Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, or Ir; and "Pn" denotes one of the pnicogen elements P, As, or Sb. Again, y has values less than one.