Two-dimensional indium sulfide framework constructed from pentasupertetrahedral p1 and supertetrahedral t2 clusters

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

• Open-framework indium sulfides are typically 3D structures with disordered guest molecules.
• Previous pentasupertetrahedral (P1) sulfide clusters required divalent metal cations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel open-framework indium sulfide.
• To characterize its structure and properties, focusing on cluster types and guest molecule ordering.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis was employed to prepare the material.
• UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was used to determine the band gap.

Main Results:

• A new 2D open-framework indium sulfide, [In12S24H2]10-, was successfully synthesized.
• It features novel P1 clusters composed solely of trivalent indium ions and T2 clusters.
• Structure-directing amine molecules showed reduced disorder due to N-H...S hydrogen bonding.
• The material was identified as a wide band gap semiconductor.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a unique indium sulfide open-framework with novel cluster architectures.
• The ordered guest molecules offer potential for controlled material properties.
• The wide band gap semiconductor nature suggests applications in electronic or optical devices.