Wurtzitelike

Wurtzitelike describes a crystal structure or local coordination that resembles the wurtzite (ZnS) structure. In the ideal wurtzite arrangement, the anions form a hexagonal close-packed lattice and the cations occupy one-half of the tetrahedral sites, producing a hexagonal AB-type lattice. The conventional unit cell contains four formula units and the structure exhibits ABAB stacking along the c axis. It belongs to the hexagonal space group P63mc.

The term is used when a material adopts a wurtzite-type polymorph or a close derivative, or when nanoscale forms show local wurtzite coordination even if the average structure is different. Many II–VI and III–V semiconductors can crystallize in a wurtzite-like phase, which may be stable or metastable under certain conditions. Wurtzitelike character can also arise in polytypes or in materials closely related to wurtzite in their local bonding environment.

Common examples of wurtzite-like materials include ZnO, ZnS, GaN, BeO, and CdS, many of which crystallize in the wurtzite structure in bulk or form wurtzite-type nanostructures. These materials often exhibit polar surfaces and can display piezoelectric or pyroelectric properties, with band gaps spanning the wide to medium range, making them relevant for optoelectronic applications.

Research on wurtzitelike structures covers phase transitions between wurtzite and zinc blende forms, synthesis and growth conditions that favor wurtzite-like phases, and how nanostructuring affects phase stability and electronic properties.