Ternary Sulfides: Model Compounds for the Correlation of Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties

Relationships between crystal structure and magnetic properties enable an insight into the nature of the binding of atoms or ions in the solid state. Suitable as model substances are transition metal compounds in which the collective bonds that are generally present are directively degraded by incorporation of diamagnetic cations. This requirement of progressive degradation is met with in sulfides of the general composition A_xM_yS_z, where A ? alkali metal and M ? transition metal.