Organic superconductors with high transition temperatures and high critical magnetic fields
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsAlfred A. Wolf, Ernest H. Halpern
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Abstract
Organic compounds exhibit superconducting-like behavior, as to magnetic and lectrical properties, at elevated temperatures above 21.degree.K, where 21.degree.K is the transition temperature of most known metallic superconducting materials. The structure of the organic materials according to this invention is a plurality of superconducting clusters, forming islands within a matrix of insulating material. The ratio of the clusters to the matrix material is a minimum at 1:10.sup.4. The organic compound comprises two distinct atomic groups termed an R group and COOM group combining as R--COOM with the COOM group clustering to form superconducting islands, within the R material matrix.
Claims15
A method of preparing a superconductive material of the formula (RCOO.sup.-).sub. x M.sup.x, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a metal, a cyclic organic radical, an aliphatic organic radical, an aromatic organic radical, and a heterocyclic organic radical;
- M is a cation;
- and x is the valence of M, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a water solution of the material at room temperature;
- establishing a vacuum over said solution;
- and
- evaporating slowly the solvent to cause the constituent molecules to orient with the COOM group in clusters surrounded by a matrix of the R group.
A superconducting material produced by the steps of:
- passing chlorine gas through a sodium formate suspension;
- using antimony chloride as a catalyst;
- applying heat in the reaction zone to form chlorosodium formate;
- precipitating said chlorosodium formate;
- filtering said chlorosodium formate from the other constituents;
- reacting said precipitated and filtered chlorosodium formate on a mole-to-mole with copper hydride with the application of heat;
- distilling the resulting copper sodium formate having the general formula R--COOM, wherein R is the copper and COOM is the sodium formate, and the remaining copper hydride to remove hydrogen chloride;
- washing with water and alcohol the residual copper sodium formate and copper hydride to dissolve and separate out the copper sodium formate;
- and
- evaporating slowly the solvent containing said copper sodium formate to achieve orientation of the molecules to achieve clustering of the superconducting COOM portion of the molecule with a surrounding matrix of the R portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.