Rapid microwave-assisted preparation of binary and ternary transition metal sulfide compounds

摘要

AbstractTransition metal chalcogenides are of interest for energy applications, including energy generation in photoelectrochemical cells and as electrodes for next-generation electrochemical energy storage. Synthetic routes for such chalcogenides typically involve extended heating at elevated temperatures for multiple weeks. We demonstrate here the feasibility of rapidly preparing select sulfide compounds in a matter of minutes, rather than weeks, using microwave-assisted heating in domestic microwaves. We report the preparations of phase pure FeS2, CoS2, and solid solutions thereof from the elements with only 40?min of heating. Conventional furnace and rapid microwave preparations of CuTi2S4both result in a majority of the targeted phase, even with the significantly shorter heating time of 40?min for microwave methods relative to 12 days using a conventional furnace. The preparations we describe for these compounds can be extended to related structures and chemistries and thus enable rapid screening of the properties and performance of various compositions of interest for electronic, optical, and electrochemical applications.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights?The rapid preparation of phase pure FeS2and CoS2from the elements can be achieved in 40?min of microwave-assisted heating.?Cu1?xTi2S4of a similar quality resulted from 12 days of heating using a conventional furnace and in 40 min using microwave-assisted heating.?We demonstrate the utility of microwave-assisted heating to rapidly prepare transition metal sulfides from the elements.]]>