Polytypism and Polysomatism in Mixed-Layer Chalcogenides: Characterization of PbBi4Te4S3 and Inferences for Ordered Phases in the Aleksite Series

Bi-Pb-chalcogenides of the aleksite series represent homologous mixed-layer compounds derived from tetradymite (Bi2Te2S). Considering tetradymite as composed of five-atom (Bi2Te2S) layers, the named minerals of the aleksite homologous series, aleksite (PbBi2Te2S2) and saddlebackite, (Pb2Bi2Te2S3) have been considered as phases formed by regular stacking of longer seven- and nine-atom layers. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission...