Chapter 2 - Thermochemical reaction strategies for the rapid formation of inorganic solid-state materials

Abstract

Solid-state reactions between one or more inert solid reactants usually require significant energy input to achieve sufficient interatomic or ionic diffusion to get past energy barriers for product formation. High-temperature heating is often necessary to achieve sufficient reaction progression. Some methods to overcome kinetic reaction barriers before heating include physical and chemical methods that intimately mix reactants. This chapter will highlight aspects of these conventional synthetic methods and contrast them with thermochemically driven solid-state synthesis strategies. Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) and solid-state metathesis (SSM) reactions are two approaches that design highly exothermic reactions to form solid-state products. The key thermochemical and kinetic features of SHS and SSM reactions will be described with a focus on dynamic factors that influence successful reactions. The chemical and physical tuning of SSM reactions will be highlighted including thermochemical changes with precursor choices and compositional targets, as well as reaction initiation and reaction temperature tuning strategies.