Materials discovery can be accelerated by the development of synthesis methods and in-situ characterization techniques allowing for the rapid “fast screening” of multicomponent systems. However, the sluggish kinetics of solid-state reactions entails the necessity of high temperatures and long annealing times, often leading to the stabilization of the thermodynamically stable products. This becomes much more problematic when attempting to synthesize metastable and complex structures. Thus, new synthetic methods using unconventional, reactive precursors must be developed to overcome limitations of traditional solid-state synthesis. Such methods should be suitable to achieve the next level of synthetic complexity and allow exploration of systems where starting materials have drastically different reactivity. We are interested in unconventional synthesis methods toward solid-state materials, using reactive salt-like precursors. The chosen synthetic method utilizes alkali metal-hydride precursor and remedies the problem of insufficient mixing of the starting materials with ductile alkali metals, leading to faster kinetics and reduced annealing times. In addition, this route allows for targeted synthesis of specific compositions, and thus, fine tuning of physical properties. Such a synthetic approach could help bridge the gap between theoretical prediction and experimental synthesis of new materials, allowing for rapid exploration and compound mining of potentially rich phase space in the ternary systems containing an alkali metal. Utilizing this synthesis method, new ternary borides and antimonides, containing transition metals have been synthesized. Their crystal structures, chemical bonding and physical properties will be discussed.

Hydride route to complex intermetallics

2019 Spring National Meeting

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