Liquid Sulfur as an Unconventional Medium for the Synthesis of Semiconductor Nanocrystals and Polymeric Nanocomposites

摘要

A tremendous excess, on the order of 10 million tons, is generated annually of elemental sulfur from the hydrodesulfurization process in petroleum refining. The primary usage of elemental sulfur amount is directed toward the production of commodity chemicals such as sulfuric acid, fertilizers, and rubber. However, nearly seven million tons of sulfur are remained in excess, mainly stored in powder form, or as compressed bricks in exposed, above-ground megaton deposits (Figure 1).[1] This sulfur excess problems confronts oil refining companies and countries with the issue of long-term sulfur storage due to a lack of novel utililization strategies.. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in utilization of abundant elemental sulfur for new chemical and material applications.