Lithium tritelluride can be synthesized by heating a mixture of the appropriate stoichiometry. It is unstable below 304 °C; if left below that temperature, it will decompose, releasing tellurium vapor.[2][3][4]
Structurally, lithium tritelluride is composed of parallelgraphene-like planes of tellurium. Atoms in these planes are aligned to form "vertical" columns of tellurium; the lithium ions then form columns running through the center of each tellurium hexagon.[5]
References
^Foster, M. S.; Johnson, C. E.; Davis, K. A.; Peck, J.; Schablaske, R. (1969). (Technical report). USAEC. p. 141. ANL-7575. {{cite tech report}}: Missing or empty |title= (help), as cited in Valentine, Cavin & Yakel 1977.
^ abHitch, B.F.; Toth, L.M.; Brynestad, J. (January 1978). "The decomposition equilibrium of LiTe3". Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry. 40 (1): 31–34. doi:10.1016/0022-1902(78)80301-7.
^ abCunningham, P. T.; Johnson, S. A.; Cairns, E. J. (1973). "Phase Equilibria in Lithium-Chalcogen Systems". Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 120 (3): 328. doi:10.1149/1.2403448.
^ abSongster, J.; Pelton, A. D. (June 1992). "The li-te (lithium-tellurium) system". Journal of Phase Equilibria. 13 (3): 300–303. doi:10.1007/BF02667559. S2CID97799347.