Understanding the Crystalline Landscape of Metal Chalcogenide Materials

Abstract

The identity and arrangement of atoms determine the properties of all crystalline solids, and when the identity of the atoms is the same, multiple arrangements and different crystalline structures can still exist. These crystalline solids have myriad possibilities in technological applications because of their diverse electronic, optical, magnetic, chemical, and catalytic properties. However, these applications cannot be realized without reliable synthetic routes that can target each desired crystalline material. The synthetic routes to achieve crystalline materials are often serendipitous, mainly due to the blurred lines between precursor reactivity, decomposition mechanism, temperature, time, and concentration. These studies examine the effect of precursor decomposition kinetics on phase determination. Our results suggest that the crystalline structure of the nucleated phase is a huge determinant in its overall transformation. Taking both crystal structure and precursor decomposition kinetics into consideration, we can develop rational syntheses of metal sulfides. Our results show a control over crystalline structure not previously reported and emphasize that by considering the crystalline structures of these materials, rational phase control can be achieved.