Low Temperature Nb$_{1-x}$S Structure: AB_hP16_186_ac_bc-002

Picture of Structure; Click for Big Picture
Prototype NbS
AFLOW prototype label AB_hP16_186_ac_bc-002
ICSD 15679
CCDC 1596386
Pearson symbol hP16
Space group number 186
Space group symbol $P6_3mc$
AFLOW prototype command aflow --proto=AB_hP16_186_ac_bc-002
--params=$a, \allowbreak c/a, \allowbreak z_{1}, \allowbreak z_{2}, \allowbreak x_{3}, \allowbreak z_{3}, \allowbreak x_{4}, \allowbreak z_{4}$

Other compounds with this structure

MoN


  • This is the low-temperature structure of sulfur-rich NbS, tempered at $≈ 650^\circ$C from the high-temperature phase, which takes on the orthorhombic MnP ($B31$) structure. The metal-rich form, Nb$_{1+x}$S, is in the NiAs ($B8_{1}$) structure.
  • (Kadijk, 1969) give the occupancy of the Nb (2a) site as 68%, making the stoichiometry of this sample Nb$_{0.92}$S.
  • Space group $P6_{3}mc #186$ does not define the origin of the $z$-axis. Here we follow (Kadijk, 1969) and set $z_{1} = 0$ for the Nb-I site.
  • While (Kadijk, 1969) set x$_{4}$=0.1634 for the S II site, the ICSD entry uses x$_{4}$=-0.1634. Using the former value gives unusual voids in the crystal structure which are not found with the later value. Accordingly we use the ICSD value -0.1634.

\[ \begin{array}{ccc} \mathbf{a_{1}}&=&\frac{1}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}\\\mathbf{a_{2}}&=&\frac{1}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}\\\mathbf{a_{3}}&=&c \,\mathbf{\hat{z}} \end{array}\]

Basis vectors

Lattice coordinates Cartesian coordinates Wyckoff position Atom type
$\mathbf{B_{1}}$ = $z_{1} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $c z_{1} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (2a) Nb I
$\mathbf{B_{2}}$ = $\left(z_{1} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $c \left(z_{1} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (2a) Nb I
$\mathbf{B_{3}}$ = $\frac{1}{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+\frac{2}{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{2} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\frac{1}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{2} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (2b) S I
$\mathbf{B_{4}}$ = $\frac{2}{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+\frac{1}{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{2} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\frac{1}{2}a \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{6}a \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{2} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (2b) S I
$\mathbf{B_{5}}$ = $x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $- \sqrt{3}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) Nb II
$\mathbf{B_{6}}$ = $x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+2 x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\frac{3}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) Nb II
$\mathbf{B_{7}}$ = $- 2 x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $- \frac{3}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) Nb II
$\mathbf{B_{8}}$ = $- x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{3} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\sqrt{3}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{3} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) Nb II
$\mathbf{B_{9}}$ = $- x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- 2 x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{3} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $- \frac{3}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{3} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) Nb II
$\mathbf{B_{10}}$ = $2 x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{3} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{3} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\frac{3}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{3} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{3} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) Nb II
$\mathbf{B_{11}}$ = $x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $- \sqrt{3}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) S II
$\mathbf{B_{12}}$ = $x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+2 x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\frac{3}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) S II
$\mathbf{B_{13}}$ = $- 2 x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+z_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $- \frac{3}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c z_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) S II
$\mathbf{B_{14}}$ = $- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{4} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\sqrt{3}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{4} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) S II
$\mathbf{B_{15}}$ = $- x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}- 2 x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{4} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $- \frac{3}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{4} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) S II
$\mathbf{B_{16}}$ = $2 x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{1}+x_{4} \, \mathbf{a}_{2}+\left(z_{4} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \, \mathbf{a}_{3}$ = $\frac{3}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{x}}- \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}a x_{4} \,\mathbf{\hat{y}}+c \left(z_{4} + \frac{1}{2}\right) \,\mathbf{\hat{z}}$ (6c) S II

References

Found in

  • P. Villars and L. Calvert, Pearson's Handbook of Crystallographic Data for Intermetallic Phases (ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1991), 2nd edn.

First cited in

  • N. Anderson, M. J. Mehl, H. Eckert, S. Divilov, X. Campilongo, S. Curtarolo, The AFLOW Library of Crystallographic Prototypes: Part 5. Submitted to Computational Materials Science (2026).

Geometry files


Prototype Generator

aflow --proto=AB_hP16_186_ac_bc --params=$a,c/a,z_{1},z_{2},x_{3},z_{3},x_{4},z_{4}$

Species:

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Output: