K2Hg2Se3: Large-ScaleSynthesis of a Photoconductor Material Prototype with a Columnar PolyanionicSubstructure.

K2Hg2Se3, a new photoconductingmaterial with a direct band gap around 1.4 eV, was obtained in nearlyquantitative yields and large scale (50 g per batch) by means of solvothermaltreatment of a corresponding solid. The compound comprises covalentlylinked selenidomercurate columns that accommodate potassium counterions.Composition and structure allow for a specific combination of optoelectronic,photophysical, and thermoelectric properties, which initiates a systematicmaterial development within this family of compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]