Amorphous and porous alkali metal chalcogenides for remediation applications
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsMercouri G. Kanatzidis, Zohreh Hassanzadeh Fard, Saiful M. Islam
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Abstract
Amorphous metal chalcogenides having the formula A2xSnxSb3-xQ6 are provided. In the chalcogenides, A is an alkali metal element, such as K or Cs, and Q is S or Se. The value of x can be in the range from 0.8 to 1. Porous chalcogenide materials made from the amorphous chalcogenides are also provided. These porous materials comprise metal chalcogenides having the formula (AB)2xSnxSb3-xQ6, wherein x is in the range from 0.8 to 1, A and B are two different alkali metal elements, and Q is S or Se.
Claims21
An amorphous metal chalcogenide having the formula A2xSnxSb3-xQ6, wherein x is in the range from 0.8 to 1, A is an alkali metal element, and Q is S or Se.
A porous material comprising a chalcogenide having the formula Ax′MyM′zQm, where A is an alkali metal element or a mixture of two or more alkali metal elements;
- M and M′ are main group metal elements or elements from groups 14 or 15 of the periodic table of the elements;
- Q is S, Se or Te;
- x′, y, and z are independently selected from values in the range from 0 to 10, and m is in the range from 1 to 20, wherein the material includes pores having pore sizes in the range from 200 nm to 10 μm.
A method of making the porous chalcogenide, the method comprising:
- mixing an amorphous metal chalcogenide having the formula Ax′MyM′zQm, where A is an alkali metal element;
- M and M′ are main group metal elements or elements from groups 14 or 15 of the periodic table of the elements;
- Q is S, Se or Te;
- x′, y, and z are independently selected from values in the range from 0 to 10, and m is in the range from 1 to 20, with an inorganic halide salt having the formula BX, where X is a halogen and B is an alkali metal element, and further wherein A and B may be the same element or different elements;
- melting the amorphous metal chalcogenide and the inorganic halide salt to form a homogeneous molten mixture;
- solidifying the molten mixture to form a composite material comprising particles of a first phase comprising the inorganic halide salt in a matrix of a second phase comprising the amorphous metal chalcogenide having the formula Ax′MyM′zQm;
- and
- extracting the first phase from the composite material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.