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Sb-triggered β-to-α Transition: Solvothermal Synthesis of Metastable α-Cu2Se

Feng Jia, Shu Zhang, Xiaokun Zhang, Xiaoli Peng, Haitao Zhang, Yong Xiang

Chemistry. 2014 Nov 24;20(48):15941-6.

PMID: 25296908

Abstract:

Control over phase stabilities during synthesis processes is of great importance for both fundamental studies and practical applications. We describe herein a facile strategy for the synthesis of Cu2Se with phase selectivity through a simple solvothermal method. In the presence and absence of SbCl3, monoclinic α-Cu2Se and cubic β-Cu2Se can be synthesized, respectively. The formation of α-Cu2Se requires optimization of the Cu/Se molar ratio in the starting reagents, the reaction temperature, as well as the timing for the addition of SbCl3. Differential scanning calorimetry of the synthesized α-Cu2Se has shown that a part of it undergoes a phase transition to β-Cu2Se at 135 °C, and that this phase transition is irreversible on cooling to ambient temperature. Kinetic studies have revealed that in the presence of Sb species the kinetically favored β-Cu2Se transforms to the thermodynamically favored α-Cu2Se. In this β-to-α phase transition process, the distribution of Cu ions in β-Cu2Se, as determined by the Cu/Se ratio and temperature, is likely to play a crucial role.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number Product Name Structure CAS Number Price
AP20405645 Copper(I) selenide Copper(I) selenide 20405-64-5 Price
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