REAL-TIME IN-SITU X-RAY-DIFFRACTION OF INTERCALATION REACTIONS

Real-time in situ energy dispersive X-ray powder diffraction techniques have been developed to monitor the intercalation of a guest species into a solid host; the time dependence of the extent of reaction (alpha) for the intercalation of cobaltocene CoCp2 (Cp = eta5-C5H5) by SnS2 has been experimentally determined and is consistent with a model involving nucleation followed by two-dimensional diffusion of the metallocene molecules into the host lattice.