Abstract
A novel electrochemical synthetic technique has been developed recently for the generation of heteropolyatomic Zintl anion clusters via the cathodic dissolution of telluride electrodes. Whereas previous synthetic techniques for the generation of these compounds have relied on high temperature fusion of the elements and/or extraction methods, this technique simply relies on the constantly increasing concentration of anions as they are discharged from a cathode, is performed at room temperature and in many cases yields X-ray quality single crystals in as little as 3-5 days. In the process of our study of this technique, it has also been shown that it allows for the preparation of Zintl anions which have not been and may not be accessible by these standard high temperature and extraction techniques. The versatility of this synthetic technique has been demonstrated by the isolation of small six- to seven-atom anions, larger 15-atom cluster anions and one-dimensional chain materials from the Au, Ga, In, Sn, As and Sb telluride systems. Ongoing research suggests that the synthesis of additional materials should be possible.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 175-205 |
Number of pages | 31 |
Journal | Journal of Alloys and Compounds |
Volume | 229 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 15 1995 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
- Metals and Alloys
- Materials Chemistry
Keywords
- Electrochemical synthesis
- Telluride
- Zintl anions