Raman spectroscopy of nickel sulfide Ni3S2

Raman spectra of nickel sulfides reported in previous studies are inconsistent due possibly to the difficulty in obtaining samples of the required purity in composition and phase. In this study, Raman spectra for both the low-temperature (heazlewoodite)- and the high-temperature (cubic)-phase Ni3S2, collected under both ex situ and in situ conditions, are correlated with factor group analysis and X-ray diffraction. The study is important to the investigation of sulfur-nickel interactions in catalyst systems for processing of sulfur-containing chemicals and in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that run on sulfur-containing fuels; it also provides a standard reference for research in areas such as the corrosion of nickel-based alloys in a sulfur-containing atmosphere.