LOW-TEMPERATURE PREPARATION OF AMORPHOUS NIOBIUM SULFIDE

A detailed study has been performed on the reactivity of niobium pentachloride with three different organic sulfurizing agents (CH3)3SiSSi(CH3)3, (CH3)3CSSC(CH3)3 and (CH3)3CSC(CH3)3. The nature of the organic agent does not seem to affect the Nb:S ratio in the obtained amorphous powder. However the purity of this powder is highly dependent on the organic sulfurizing agent and also the solvent. The obtained amorphous powder in all cases has a Nb/S ratio of 2.5, is highly reactive and converts rapidly to a crystalline niobium sulfide by simply heating at high temperature. © 1990.