Issue 5, 2017

Superconductivity and magnetism in iron sulfides intercalated by metal hydroxides

Abstract

Inspired by naturally occurring sulfide minerals, we present a new family of iron-based superconductors. A metastable form of FeS known as the mineral mackinawite forms two-dimensional sheets that can be readily intercalated by various cationic guest species. Under hydrothermal conditions using alkali metal hydroxides, we prepare three different cation and metal hydroxide-intercalated FeS phases including (Li1−xFexOH)FeS, [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS, and KxFe2−yS2. Upon successful intercalation of the FeS layer, the superconducting critical temperature Tc of mackinawite is enhanced from 5 K to 8 K for the (Li1−xFexOH)δ+ intercalate. Layered heterostructures of [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS resemble the natural mineral tochilinite, which contains an iron square lattice interleaved with a hexagonal hydroxide lattice. Whilst heterostructured [(Na1−xFex)(OH)2]FeS displays long-range magnetic ordering near 15 K, KxFe2−yS2 displays short range antiferromagnetism.

Graphical abstract: Superconductivity and magnetism in iron sulfides intercalated by metal hydroxides

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
01 Dec 2016
Accepted
11 Mar 2017
First published
13 Mar 2017
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2017,8, 3781-3788

Superconductivity and magnetism in iron sulfides intercalated by metal hydroxides

X. Zhou, C. Eckberg, B. Wilfong, S. Liou, H. K. Vivanco, J. Paglione and E. E. Rodriguez, Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 3781 DOI: 10.1039/C6SC05268A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements