BiOCuS: A new superconducting compound with oxypnictide-related structure

The discovery of about 50 K superconductivity in the tetragonal Fe-based pnictides has stimulated the search for superconductivity in a wide class of materials with similar structure. Copper forms compounds isostructural to LaOFeAs. Single phase BiOCuS can be prepared by a solid state reaction at temperature lower than 500 degrees C from a mixture of Bi2O3, Bi2S3 and Cu2S. The samples have been characterized by means of EDX analysis, X-ray diffraction, magnetic and electrical measurements. The cell parameters are a = 3.8708 angstrom. c = 8.565 angstrom. Charge carrier doping can be realized either by F substitutions for 0, or by Cu off-stoichiometry. The latter doping route leads to the occurrence of superconductivity below T-c = 5.8 K. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.