Low-Temperature Molten Salt Shielded Synthesis of Semiconducting Mn-doped β-FeSi2 in ambient air condition

Abstract

β-FeSi₂ has emerged as a promising, low-cost, and eco-friendly semiconducting material with strong potential for energy-related applications. However, conventional synthesis methods typically require high temperatures and controlled environments such as vacuum or inert atmospheres, which increase manufacturing costs and limit scalability. In this work, we report an economical and scalable molten salt shielded synthesis method for producing semiconducting β-FeSi₂. The phase purity of the synthesized sample was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. Morphology and nominal elemental composition were examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to investigate the surface chemical composition of the synthesized material. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements of the as-synthesized pellet confirms its semiconducting behavior. Overall, the results show that MS3 is a simple, scalable, and cost-effective approach for preparing semiconducting β-FeSi₂ in powder form. The obtained powder can be utilized for fabricating composite or flexible devices for energy-related applications.