Directed Synthesis Using Zintl Ion Building Blocks

Peter K. Dorhout博士，科罗拉多州立大学化学系，由化学系无机、生物无机和有机金属项目提供支持，并获得教师早期职业发展奖，用于研究锌离子构建模块在材料合成中的使用。镧系锌离子材料将使用构建块概念合成，其中已知的锌相结构被检查为新材料的前体和反应物。新的镧系二磷酸硒和硒锑酸盐化合物将在中等温度下由熔盐反应制备。这些材料有望表现出热电和/或反铁磁行为，这些性质及其理论基础将被研究。该教育计划旨在发展新的x射线衍射和热分析实验室实验，开设固体化学新课程，并开设本科生研究项目。元素周期表中不同部分元素的独特组合可以产生具有新的有用特性的固态材料。这些类型的材料的合成通常是通过在高温下结合元素，以经验，试错的方式进行的。该方案结合了锌离子（带负电荷的主族元素簇）和镧系金属，采用系统合理的构建方法。这种方法旨在开发这些材料的低温合成路线，并对观察到的这些材料的物理性质的基础有一个基本的了解。这些材料可能具有独特的导电性和磁性，合成方法的进步和对这些系统的理论理解将允许设计具有可预测物理性质的新材料。该教育计划侧重于课程开发、学生辅导和研究。

Dr. Peter K. Dorhout, Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program of the Chemistry Division under a Faculty Early Career Development Award for studies of the use of Zintl ion building blocks in material synthesis. Lanthanide Zintl ion materials will be synthesized using a building block concept whereby known Zintl phase structures are examined as precursors to and reactants for new materials. New lanthanide selenodiphosphate and selenoantimonate compounds will be prepared from molten salt reactions at moderate temperatures. These materials are expected to show thermoelectric and/or antiferromagnetic behavior, and these properties and their theoretical basis will be examined. The educational plan is aimed at developing new laboratory experiments in X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis, a new course in solid state chemistry, and an undergraduate research program. Unique combinations of elements from various portions of the periodic table can result in solid state materials with new and useful properties. The synthesis of these types of materials is frequently approached in an empirical, trial-and-error fashion by combining the elements at high temperature. This proposal combines Zintl ions, negatively charged clusters of main group elements, with lanthanide metals in a systematic and rational building block approach. This approach is aimed at developing low temperature synthetic routes to these materials, and a fundamental understanding of the basis for the observed physical properties of these materials. These materials may posess unique conducting and magnetic properties, and the advances in synthetic methodology and in the theoretical understanding of these systems will allow for the design of new materials with predictable physical properties. The educational plan focuses on curriculum development, student mentoring, and research.