TY - JOUR AU - Müller, P. C. AU - Elliott, S. R. AU - Dronskowski, R. AU - Jones, R. O. TI - Chemical bonding in phase-change chalcogenides JO - Journal of physics / Condensed matter VL - 36 IS - 32 SN - 0953-8984 CY - Bristol PB - IOP Publ. M1 - FZJ-2024-04937 SP - 325706 - PY - 2024 AB - lmost all phase-change memory materials (PCM) contain chalcogen atoms, and their chemical bonds have been denoted both as 'electron-deficient' [sometimes referred to as 'metavalent'] and 'electron-rich' ['hypervalent', multicentre]. The latter involve lone-pair electrons. We have performed calculations that can discriminate unambiguously between these two classes of bond and have shown that PCM have electron-rich, 3c–4e ('hypervalent') bonds. Plots of charge transferred between (ET) and shared with (ES) neighbouring atoms cannot on their own distinguish between 'metavalent' and 'hypervalent' bonds, both of which involve single-electron bonds. PCM do not exhibit 'metavalent' bonding and are not electron-deficient; the bonding is electron-rich of the 'hypervalent' or multicentre type. LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)16 C6 - 38697198 UR - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:001224980700001 DO - DOI:10.1088/1361-648X/ad46d6 UR - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1029019 ER -