Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) materials are rare, but have intriguing properties which can be used in precise optical devices to prevent thermal fluctuation. Here, a new cube ZTE compound K6Cd3(C3N3O3)4, composed of conjugated [C3N3] rigid six-membered-rings and [CdN4] tetrahedra, has been reported for the first time. Its thermal expansion coefficient is as small as 0.06 MK−1, which is one-order of magnitude lower than that of the commercially available Invar alloy. In addition, the ZTE mechanism was elucidated using first-principles calculations.
