Layered Structures of Binary Metal Chalcogenides as a Basis for the Construction of Ternary CompoundsThe structure of binary fluorides and oxides with alkali and alkaline-earth metals can be largely understood by means of the supposition of electrostatic binding forces. Thus the sequence of structure types with changing co-ordination numbers for cations and anions depending on their radial quotients, can be nearly quantitatively predicted by a simple model using electrostatically attracting and repelling forces. Moreover, the lattice energies calculated by means of the electrostatic model agree satisfactorily with those which can be experimentally determined by means of the Born-Haber cycle. The dominant role of the electrostatic binding forces decreases considerably if one changes over to the fluorides and oxides of the remaining main group and transition metals, especially when the electropositive atoms are in higher oxidation states. The binary chlorides and sulphides, bromides and selenides, as well as the iodides and tellurides of the alkali and alkaline-earth metals exhibit progressively increasing covalent binding character, especially as the atomic weight of the anionic partner increases. Analogous compounds with the other main group metals continue this tendency and the corresponding phases with the transition metals can already assume metallic properties. Above all, the systems with sulphur, selenium and tellurium, which will be discussed here in greater detail, can often be recognized as intermetallic systems. Here the existence of many phases, mostly having wide ranges of homogeneity, can be observed.The transition from the more salt-like structured chalcogenides to those already having metallic properties can be seen clearly from the example of the largely stoichiometrically composed mono-and dichalcogenides -MX and MX 2 -of the metals of the 4th period (see Tables I and II). Included in the tables are the hitherto known high pressure and high temperature phases [1].In the range of the MX compounds with the NaCl structure type, in which the cations occupy all the octahedral sites in a cubic close-packed structure of anions, mainly ionic bonds are found. Exceptions are the scandium chalcogenides, in which for scandium, the oxidation state + 3 must be assumed, the electrons not required for the inert gas configuration of the X 2 -giving rise to metallic properties. In the MX com-