Synthesis and Characterization of a Mercury-Intercalated Molybdenum Disulfide

• Published in: Journal of solid state chemistry Vol. 147; no. 1; pp. 336 - 340
• Main Authors: Lemaux, S., Golub, A.S., Gressier, P., Ouvrard, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.10.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Chemistry; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Inorganic chemistry and origins of life; Inorganic compounds; intercalation; mercury; Miscellaneous; Molybdenum disulfide; Physics; Preparations and properties; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Structure of specific crystalline solids; X-ray absorption spectroscopy; Molybdenum disulfide; intercalation; X-ray absorption spectroscopy; mercury; Stacking sequence; XANES; Molybdenum sulfide; Crystal chemistry; Thermodynamic stability; Transition metal; Experimental study; EXAFS; Inorganic compound; Characterization; Intercalation compound; Transition metal compounds; Chemical preparation; Charge transfer; Mercury; Modified material
• ISSN: 0022-4596; 1095-726X
• DOI: 10.1006/jssc.1999.8328

Elemental mercury cannot be intercalated into crystalline molybdenum disulfide as such, probably for structural reasons, the a parameter of the host being too small. On the contrary, we show that a reaction between restacked MoS2 and liquid mercury allows the synthesis of such an intercalate. X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments show that such different behavior is due to the appropriate structural configuration of the restacked phase. Intercalated mercury stabilizes the structural and d3 electronic configuration of molybdenum.