Tellurites

TEL, Et4pb. Lead tetraethyl, fellurates Formally salts containing oxy-anions of tellurium. Tellurales(VI) contain octahedral [TeO ] " species and derivatives of these. Tellurates(IV), tellurites, contain [TeOa] " species. 

Tellurous add, HzTeO, does not exist as TeOj is insoluble in water. Tellurates(/V), tellurites containing (TeO,) " species can be formed from TeO, and bases. 

Tellurite, see Tellurium dioxide Tenorite, see Copper(II) oxide Tephroite, see Manganese silicate(l—)... 

Thousands of compounds of the actinide elements have been prepared, and the properties of some of the important binary compounds are summarized in Table 8 (13,17,18,22). The binary compounds with carbon, boron, nitrogen, siUcon, and sulfur are not included these are of interest, however, because of their stabiUty at high temperatures. A large number of ternary compounds, including numerous oxyhaUdes, and more compHcated compounds have been synthesized and characterized. These include many intermediate (nonstoichiometric) oxides, and besides the nitrates, sulfates, peroxides, and carbonates, compounds such as phosphates, arsenates, cyanides, cyanates, thiocyanates, selenocyanates, sulfites, selenates, selenites, teUurates, tellurites, selenides, and teUurides. 

Sodium teUurate [10101-25-8] Na2Te04, (53.7% Te theoretically), is made by oxidizing sodium tellurite solution with hydrogen peroxide. The reaction is exothermic. 

The oxidation of teUurium(IV) by permanganate as an analytical method has been studied in some detail (26). The sample is dissolved in 1 1 nitric-sulfuric acid mixture addition of potassium bisulfate and repeated fuming with sulfuric acid volatilises the selenium. The tellurite is dissolved in 10 vol % sulfuric acid, followed by threefold dilution with water and titration with potassium permanganate ... 

Other oxoacid salts of the alkali metals are discussed in later chapters, e.g. borates (p. 205), silicates (p. 347), phosphites and phosphates (p. 510), sulfites, hydrogensulfates, thiosulfates, etc. (p. 706) selenites, selenates, tellurites and tellurates (p. 781), hypohalites, halites, halates and perhalates (p. 853), etc. 

Separation of Se and Te can also be achieved by neutralizing the alkaline selenite and tellurite leach with H2SO4 this precipitates the tellurium as a hydrous dioxide and leaves the more acidic selenous acid, H2Se03, in solution from which 99.5% pure Se can be precipitated by S02 ... 

All the dialkali monosulfides are soluble in water and give alkaline solutions. The tellurides are instantly decomposed by air. They are soluble in water, but the solutions are easily oxidized to red polytellurides. The alkali metal tellurides are strong reducing agents which reduce tellurites to metallic tellurium. 

H2Te (hydrogen telluride, colorless), HTe (hydrogen telluride ion, colorless), Te (telluride ion, colorless), Te (ditelluride ion, red), Te" + (tellurous ion), HTeOj (telluryl ion), HTeO (acid tellurite ion, colorless), TeO " (tellurite ion, colorless), H2Te04 (telluric acid, colorless), HTeOJ (acid tellurate ion, colorless), TeO (tellurate ion, colorless). 

When the diffusion rate of selenite or tellurite species toward the cathode becomes equal to the rate of their discharge, deposition of the chalcogen depletes... 

The reaction mechanism in acidic tellurite baths has been the subject of considerable debate in the literature concerning mostly the number of exchanging electrons... 

On the other hand, Xiao et al. [215] reported that smooth, dense, and erystalline PbTe films with nearly stoichiometric composition could be obtained by an optimized electrodeposition process from highly acidic (pH 0) tellurite solutions of uncomplexed Pb(II), on Au-coated silicon wafers. The results from electroanalyti-cal studies on Te, Pb, and PbTe deposition with a Pt rde at various temperatures and solution compositions supported the induced co-deposition scheme. The microstructure and preferred orientation of PbTe films was found to change significantly with the deposition potential and electrolyte concentration. At -0.12 V vs. Ag/AgCl(sat. KCl), the film was granular and oriented preferentially in the [100] direction. At potentials more negative than -0.15 V, the film was dendritic and oriented preferentially in the [211] direction (Pig. 3.13). 

It was reported recently [216] that optical-quality PbTe thin films can be directly electrodeposited onto n-type Si(lOO) substrates, without an intermediate buffer layer, from an acidic (pH 1) lead acetate, tellurite, stirred solution at 20 °C. SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses showed that in optimal deposition conditions the films were uniform, compact, and stoichiometric, made of fine, 50-100 nm in size, crystallites of a polycrystalline cubic structure, with a composition of 51.2 at.% Pb and 48.8 at.% Te. According to optical measurements, the band gap of the films was 0.31 eV and of a direct transition. Cyclic voltammetry indicated that the electrodeposition occurred via an induced co-deposition mechanism. 

Aqueous cathodic electrodeposition has been shown to offer a low-cost route for the fabrication of large surface n-CdS/p-CdTe solar cells. In a typical procedure, CdTe films, 1-2 xm thick, are electrodeposited from common acidic tellurite bath over a thin window layer of a CdS-coated substrate under potential-controlled conditions. The as-deposited CdTe films are stoichiometric, exhibit strong preferential (111) orientation, and have n-type conductivity (doping density typically... 

Similar to PbSe, the controlled growth of lead telluride, PbTe, on (111) InP was demonstrated from aqueous, acidic solutions of Pb(II) and Cd(II) nitrate salts and tellurite, at room temperature [13]. The poor epitaxy observed, due to the presence of polycrystalline material, was attributed to the existence of a large lattice mismatch between PbTe and InP (9%) compared to the PbSe/InP system (4.4%). The characterization techniques revealed the absence of planar defects in the PbTe structure, like stacking faults or microtwins, in contrast to II-VI chalcogenides like CdSe. This was related to electronic and structural anomalies. 

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