antiperovskite

Antiperovskite is a ternary compound with the chemical formula A M X where A is a metal or metalloid, M is a metal, and X is an element, typically a pnictogen or chalcogen. This structure is an isomer of the more common perovskite structure, meaning it has the same chemical formula but a different arrangement of atoms. In the antiperovskite structure, the X atoms occupy the corners of a cubic unit cell, the A atoms are in the face-centered positions, and the M atoms are at the body-centered position. This arrangement leads to distinct physical and chemical properties compared to perovskites.

Materials with the antiperovskite structure exhibit a wide range of interesting properties, including superconductivity, thermoelectricity, and magnetic ordering. For example, certain manganese nitrides of the antiperovskite type are known to be superconductors at relatively high temperatures. Other antiperovskites display significant thermoelectric effects, converting heat energy into electrical energy and vice versa, making them candidates for waste heat recovery and solid-state cooling applications. The tunable nature of the A, M, and X elements allows for the design of antiperovskite materials with specific functionalities, driving ongoing research in condensed matter physics and materials science.