MICROWAVE-ASSISTED SOLID-STATE REACTIONS INVOLVING METAL POWDERS

The ability of metal powders to couple to microwave radiation at 2450 MHz has been used to accelerate a range of solid-state reactions. Although metal objects cause extensive arcing within a microwave cavity, metal powders couple in a more conventional manner with the microwave radiation and experience high heating rates. This property has been utilised for the synthesis of metal chalcogenides and metal cluster compounds of the Group 5 and 6 elements.