Zinc antimonide facts for kids
Zinc antimonide is a special kind of chemical compound. It's made up of two different elements: zinc and antimony. You can think of it as a team of zinc and antimony atoms joined together. Its chemical formula is ZnSb.
Quick facts for kids Zinc antimonide |
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| IUPAC name | Zinc antimonide |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| SMILES | [Zn].[Zn+2].[Zn+2].[Zn+2].[Sb].[Sb].[Sb] |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | |
| Molar mass | 0 g mol-1 |
| Appearance | silver-white orthorhombic crystals |
| Density | 6.33 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | |
| reacts | |
| Band gap | 0.56 eV (ZnSb), 1.2eV (Zn4Sb3) |
| Structure | |
| Crystal structure | Orthorhombic, oP16 |
| Space group | Pbca, No. 61 |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) | |
Contents
What Zinc Antimonide Looks Like and Does
Zinc antimonide is a solid material that looks gray. It has interesting features that are a mix of two different types of materials. Some of its properties are like an alloy, which is a mix of metals. Other properties are like a salt, which is a compound often formed from a metal and a non-metal.
How It Reacts
When zinc antimonide touches water, it reacts. This reaction creates a gas called stibine. Stibine is a compound of antimony and hydrogen. Zinc antimonide is also known as a reducing agent. This means it can cause other chemicals to gain electrons.
Zinc Antimonide as a Semiconductor
One of the most important things about zinc antimonide is that it is a semiconductor. Semiconductors are materials that can conduct electricity, but not as well as metals. They are special because we can control how much electricity they conduct. This makes them very useful in electronics.
How Zinc Antimonide is Made and Used
Making zinc antimonide is quite simple. Scientists create it by heating up zinc and antimony together. When these two elements get hot enough, they combine to form zinc antimonide.
Uses in Technology
Because it is a semiconductor, zinc antimonide is used in many modern technologies. It is an important material in transistors. Transistors are tiny electronic switches that are found in almost all electronic devices, like phones and computers. It is also used in infrared detectors. These detectors can "see" heat, which is useful for night vision cameras and other special equipment.
Related Pages
See also
In Spanish: Antimoniuro de zinc para niños
