Synthesis and properties of structural analogs of the mineral bournonite

Rare-earth analogs of the mineral bournonite, PbCuSbS(3), have been synthesized for the first time and their physicochemical properties have been studied. PbCuSbS(3), EuCuSbS(3), YbCuSbS(3), PbCuLaS(3), and PbCuNdS(3) are isostructural with each other and crystallize in orthorhombic symmetry with the following unit-cell parameters: a = 8.176, b = 8.660, c = 7.796 (PbCuSbS(3)); a = 8.156, b = 8.68, c = 7.786 (EuCuSbS(3)); a = 8.15, b = 8.64, c = 7.76 (YbCuSbS(3)); a = 8.26, b = 8.84, c = 7.96 (PbCuLaS(3)); a = 8.20, b = 8.80, c = 7.92 (PbCuNdS(3)) (Z = 4, sp. gr. Pmn2(1)).