Date of Award
5-10-2014
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Sub-Department
Chemistry
First Advisor
Hans-Conrad zur Loye
Abstract
Exploratory crystal growth is the best way to discover new phases with potentially improved properties or new crystal structures that could lead to new properties. As time goes on and researchers explore the synthetic techniques in the literature, diminishing returns will be met. Innovation in the synthetic tools used for synthesis is necessary to keep the field of materials chemistry advancing at its current pace and to allow us to reach more shallow minima of phase space. By combining wet hydroxide flux synthesis and hydrothermal synthesis, a hybrid technique for crystal growth has been created.
Using hydroxide hydrofluxes, a number of new materials have been synthesized and their relevant physical properties have been characterized. New oxides, hydroxides and oxyhydroxides incorporating transition metals in reduced states, manganese in highly oxidized states, rare earth ions, and iron in a new and unusual framework have been grown by this method. Crystal growth and physical properties of these systems are the focus of this dissertation. These investigations demonstrate the capabilities of hydroflux synthesis as a new route for exploratory synthesis.
Rights
© 2014, Michael William Chance
Recommended Citation
Chance, M. W.(2014). Hydroflux Synthesis: A New and Effective Technique for Exploratory Crystal Growth. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2641