Computational Discovery of Ultralow Thermal Conductivity in the Energy-Degenerate Polymorphic Crystal Family <b>A</b> <sub> <b>2</b> </sub> <b>M</b> <sub> <b>2</b> </sub> <b>M</b> ’ <b>Q</b> <sub> <b>4</b> </sub>
Crystalline materials, characterized by their well-defined lattices, typically exhibit a unique global thermodynamic minimum for a specific composition. However, in this study, we discover a quaternary chalcogenide family, A<sub>2</sub>M<sub>2</sub>M'Q<sub>4</sub> (A: alkali metals; M: coinage metal; M': transition or group-IVA metals; Q: chalcogens), that exhibits pervasive energy (near-)degeneracy. For a given composition, multiple structurally distinct polymorphs exist within a formation enthalpy window of only a few milli-electron volts per atom. We quantify this inherent structural flexibility using a dedicated descriptor, σ<sub>f</sub>: the standard deviation of formation enthalpies among degenerate (meta)stable polymorphs. The consistently low σ<sub>f</sub> observed across the A<sub>2</sub>M<sub>2</sub>M'Q<sub>4</sub> family signifies a characteristically shallow and frustrated potential energy landscape, which drives pronounced lattice anharmonicity, marking these materials as prime candidates for ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (κ<sub>L</sub>). Employing an advanced high-throughput computational framework that integrates thermodynamics, lattice dynamics, and thermal conductivity calculations, we screen 1215 A<sub>2</sub>M<sub>2</sub>M'Q<sub>4</sub> compounds, identifying 30 stable candidates with κ<sub>L</sub> < 0.5 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup> at 300 K. Among them, Rb<sub>2</sub>Ag<sub>2</sub>SnTe<sub>4</sub> and Rb<sub>2</sub>Au<sub>2</sub>HfTe<sub>4</sub>, two representatives from the IVA and TM subgroups, are predicted to show ultralow room-temperature κ<sub>L</sub> of 0.174 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup> and 0.295 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. A systematic analysis suggests that the nonbonding and antibonding states induced by "dual rattlers" are the origin of low thermal conductivity in these compounds. Our results position the A<sub>2</sub>M<sub>2</sub>M'Q<sub>4</sub> family as a rich source of intrinsic thermal insulators and suggest that polymorphic energy degeneracy may serve as a valuable signpost for identifying crystalline families with potential anharmonicity.
Authors
- Shima Shahabfar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8740-3368)
- Dale Gaines (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9280-1240)
- M. Viti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6667-9147)
- Yukun Liu
- Zhi Li
- Christopher Wolverton
- Yi Xia
- Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
Institutions
- Portland State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Published
- 2026-03-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c02306
- Primary Topic
- Inorganic Chemistry and Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00