MOLYBDENUM CLUSTER CHALCOGENIDES - INSITU X-RAY STUDIES ON THE FORMATION OF CUXMO6S8 VIA ELECTRON/ION TRANSFER

Systematic structural investigation have been performed on the formation of the ternary Chevrel phase system CuxMo6S8 by topotactic intercalation of copper into Mo6S8 via electron/ion transfer reactions. In high-temperature synthesis the homogeneity range of CuxMo6S8 formation corresponds to 1.8 ≤ x ≤ 3.66, while by galvanostatic or potentiostatic reduction of binary Mo6S8 at ambiet temperature in aqueous CuSO4 or aprotic CuCl/Ch3CN electrolyte the terminal rhombohedral phase Cu4Mo6S8 with the maximum number of electrons per Mo6 cluster can be obtained. The phase range 1 ≤ x ≤ 4 of CuxMo6S8 as obtained by galvanostatic reduction of Mo6S8 in aqueous CuSO4 electrolyte has been determined by in situ X-ray experiments. Warburg oxygen manometry has proved to be a new and powerful analytical tool for examination of the Cu content of ternary phase CuxMo6S8. Thermodiffractometry and 63 Cu NMR studies of Cu2Mo6S8 (high-temperature phase) reveal a phase-transition rhombohedral/triclinic in a broad temperature range between 285 and 200 K. Superconducting properties (temperature-dependent ac susceptibility) of high temperature and electrochemically prepared Cu phases are reported. © 1993 Academic Press, Inc.