Thermal Conversion of Nanocrystalline Metal Hydroxide Salts to Metal Carbides, Pnictides, Chalcogenides, and Halides.

Abstract

A general procedure for synthesizing various inorganic compounds in a similar manner is required in the field of material chemistry. The use of solid-state reactive agents with inorganic precursors is a successful approach in this direction. In this study, organic-inorganic hybrid metal hydroxide salts (MHSs) were utilized to synthesize various inorganic compounds by a simple heat treatment method because they can be assumed to be "premixed" inorganic precursors and solid-state reactive agents. Comparative studies revealed that the nanocrystalline characteristics and coordination of the carboxylate of the synthesized MHSs enabled simultaneous dehydration of hydroxides and decomposition of carboxylates and subsequent formation of metals and metal sulfides. Manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, and zinc sulfides, as well as nickel carbides, pnictides, chalcogenides, and halides were obtained using the same procedure. We believe that using nanocrystalline organic-inorganic hybrid MHSs as both inorganic precursors and organic reactive agents will be a simple and versatile way to prepare a wide variety of inorganic complex compounds.