NEW HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTOR FAMILIES OF AG1-XCUXBA2CAN-1CUNO2N+3-Y AND CUBA2CAN-1CUNO2N+4-Y WITH TC-GREATER-THAN-116-K

New high-temperature and nontoxic superconductor families of Ag1-xCuxBa2Ca(n-1)CunO2n+3-y with Tc = 117 K and CuBa2Can-1CunO2n+4-y with Tc = 116 K were discovered. These materials were prepared by the high-pressue technique. The highest Tc was obtained for n = 4 i.e. Ag1-xCuxBa2Ca3Cu4O11-y(Ag-1234) and CuBa2Ca3Cu4O12-y(Cu-1234) phases. Their structures were analyzed as a tetragonal structure for simplicity. The Ag-1234 phase has the lattice parameters of a = 3.8635 Angstrom and c = 18.111 Angstrom, while the lattice parameters of the Cu-1234 phase are a = 3.8557 Angstrom and c = 17.993 Angstrom. The Ag-based superconductors have higher Tc and larger lattice parameters than the Cu-based for n = 3, 4, and 5. The relationships between the lattice parameter c and the number of CuO2 layers n are c = 8.5 + 3.2(n-1) (Angstrom) and c = 8.4 + 3.2(n-1) (Angstrom) for Ag and Cu-based superconductors, respectively. The small CuO2-block spacing (8.5 and 8.4 Angstrom) of these families suggests a lower anisotropic superconductivity than Hg- and Tl-based superconductor families. The occupation of Ag sites was analyzed.