Issue 3, 2021

Mayenite-based electride C12A7e: an innovative synthetic method via plasma arc melting

Abstract

Mayenite-based electrides have been reported as promising support materials for applications in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the current synthetic access to mayenite materials is limited by a method portfolio of complex procedures far from industrial applicability and thus hinders research and application in a broader context. We report the first plasma-based synthesis of the mayenite-based electride [Ca24Al28O64]4+:(4e) obtained by plasma treatment of oxygen-mayenite solid-reductant precursor mixtures. Aluminum and graphite can be successfully used as solid reductant: while aluminum leads to enhanced secondary phase formation of krotite during the treatment, the use of graphite as solid reductant, leads to phase-pure samples. We further critically discuss challenges and limitations in applying literature reported methods to quantitatively determine the electron concentration of the electrides. For this purpose, EPR-, DRUV/vis-spectroscopy, Rietveld refinement of PXRD and DSC-TG analysis under oxidizing atmosphere were applied and critically revised. We show the possibilities using the facile plasma-based synthesis as a scalable method to obtain semiconducting and close to metallic conducting electrides.

Graphical abstract: Mayenite-based electride C12A7e−: an innovative synthetic method via plasma arc melting

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
10 Sept. 2020
Accepted
04 Dec. 2020
First published
09 Dec. 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Mater. Chem. Front., 2021,5, 1301-1314

Mayenite-based electride C12A7e: an innovative synthetic method via plasma arc melting

S. Weber, S. Schäfer, M. Saccoccio, K. Seidel, H. Kohlmann, R. Gläser and S. A. Schunk, Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 1301 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00688B

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