Zinc Telluride, ZnTe

Margottet prepared ZnTe by melting zinc and tellurium together, and obtained red crystals by subliming the original amorphous product in hydrogen.

Zinc and tellurium form only this single compound, which melts at 1238.5° C. and has a density of 5.54 at 13° C.

A yellow-brown precipitate of the monohydrate, ZnTe.H₂O, is formed by adding a solution of sodium telluride to zinc acetate solution made acid with acetic acid. It is brown when dry, and when heated out of contact with air forms a dark dull red anhydrous telluride.

Dilute sulphuric acid has no action on zinc telluride, dilute hydrochloric acid liberates hydrogen telluride from it, and it is readily oxidised by nitric acid.

[Zn] + [Te] (cryst.) = [ZnTe] (cryst.)+37.22 Cal.