Synthesis, structure and electrical properties of a new tin vanadium selenide

The turbostratically disordered misfit layer compound (SnSe)(1.15)VSe2 was synthesized and structurally characterized. Electrical transport measurements suggest this compound undergoes a charge or spin density wave (CDW or SDW) transition, which has not been observed in previous misfit layer compounds. The (SnSe)(1.15)VSe2 compound, created through the modulated elemental reactants technique, contains highly oriented intergrowths of SnSe bilayers and VSe2 structured Se-V-Se trilayers with abrupt interfaces between them perpendicular to the c-axis. X-ray diffraction data and transmission electron microscope images show that each constituent has in-plane crystallinity but that there is a random rotational disorder between the constituent layers. Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity data and Hall measurements are consistent with (SnSe)(1.15)VSe2 being a metal, however an abrupt increase in the resistivity occurs between 30 and 100 K. The carrier concentration decreases by approximately 1 carrier per vanadium atom during this temperature interval. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.