Synthesis and Properties of Complex Crystalline and Glassy Metal Chalcogenides

新材料不仅影响物理科学，而且影响经济增长。在基层，固体和材料化学界认识到开发合理的材料发现策略和识别在我们对物理化学性质的理解和技术进步方面具有变革性的材料所面临的巨大挑战。在材料研究部固态和材料化学计划的支持下，该项目通过发展金属硫化物的化学来帮助应对这一挑战。在此背景下，研究团队正在构建理性的、科学驱动的基础，以获取最大的科技效益。该项目的主要目标是发现和表征新型金属硫化物化合物，并了解它们的结构、化学键和物理性质。如果成功，将出现能够实现新应用或增强现有技术应用有效性的新材料。该项目使用熔盐作为强大的反应介质，在其中寻求形成具有特殊物理性质的新材料。该项目对固体和材料化学领域的研究生的培训和教学做出了重大贡献，并有助于培养一支了解新材料作为新现象和技术驱动力的未来劳动力的重要性。技术概述本研究的主要目标是发现和表征新型金属硫化物化合物，并了解它们的结构、化学键和物理性质。该项目利用盐助熔剂合成来寻找具有新结构和成分的新材料。熔剂反应中存在定义明确的积木，它们的形成是通过调节熔剂组成和温度来指导的，这控制了Lewis碱度和氧化还原电位。在这个合成程序中的一个重要问题是，使用中间温度，是否可以指导熔盐中发生的基本反应化学反应，以抑制不需要的化合物的形成，并有利于新化合物的结晶。该项目基于结构-组成-性质关系的总主题，以下问题是核心：如何开发工具和概念，包括智力和实验，以发现新的功能材料。该项目侧重于硫化物类别，其方向如下：(A)多硫化物熔剂的合成，重点放在早期过渡金属和主要组金属、混合金属体系以及硫化物、碲砷酸盐和锑的化学方面；(B)使用含有氧化物盐的混合硫化物熔剂合成玻璃；(C)从晶体化合物及其相变行为中制作新型玻璃；(D)对选定的有希望的硫化物相进行溶解研究，以评估其将其加工成更有用形式的潜力。该项目预计将丰富关于不寻常和多样化的合铝化合物构建块及其在创造新化合物中所起的作用的知识。将采用的实验表征工具包括X射线结晶学、光学、红外和拉曼光谱、扫描和透射电子显微镜、差热分析和扫描量热法，以及电导率和光学二次谐波的测量。

Non-technical SummaryNew materials impact not only the physical sciences but also economic growth. At a grassroots level, the solid state and materials chemistry community recognizes the grand challenge of developing rational materials discovery strategies and identifying materials that are transformative in our understanding of physicochemical properties and in technological progress. With support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research, this project help address this challenge by developing the chemistry of metal chalcogenides. In this context, the research team is building a rational, science-driven foundation to extract maximum scientific and technological benefit. The primary goals of this projecct are to discover and characterize new types of metal chalcogenide compounds, and to understand their structures, chemical bonding and physical properties. If successful, new materials enabling new applications or enhancing the effectiveness of existing technological applications will emerge. The project employs molten salts as powerful reaction media in which to seek formation of new materials with unusual physical properties. The project contributes significantly to the training and teaching of graduate students in the field of solid state and materials chemistry and helps to create a future workforce that understands the importance of new materials as drivers for new phenomena and technologies. Technical SummaryThe primary goals of this research are to discover and characterize new types of metal chalcogenide compounds, and to understand their structures, chemical bonding and physical properties. The project employs salt flux syntheses to seek new materials with novel structure and compositions. Well-defined building blocks are present in the flux reactions and their formation is guided by tuning the flux composition and temperature, which controls Lewis basicity and redox potential. An important question in this synthesis program is whether, using intermediate temperatures, one can guide the fundamental reaction chemistry occurring in molten salts to suppress the formation of undesirable compounds and favor crystallization of new ones. The project is based on the general theme of structure-composition-property relationships with the following question being central: How does one develop the tools and concepts, both intellectual and experimental, to discover new functional materials. Focusing on the chalcogenide class the project has the following directions: (a) synthesis in polychalcogenide fluxes focusing on early transition and main group metals, mixed metal systems and also on thio and telluro-arsenate and antimonate chemistry; (b) synthesis using mixed chalcogenide fluxes incorporating oxide salts; (c) creation of novel glasses from the crystalline compounds and their phase change behavior and (d) dissolution studies of selected promising chalcogenide phases to assess their potential for processing into more useful forms. The project is expected to enrich the knowledge of unusual and diverse chalcometallate building blocks and role they play in creating new compounds. Experimental characterization tools to be employed include X-ray crystallography optical, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, differential thermal analysis and scanning calorimetry, and measurements of electrical conductivity as well as optical second harmonic generation.