A Protocol to Fabricate Nanostructured New Phase: B31-Type MnS Synthesized under High Pressure

Synthesis of nanomaterials with target crystal structures, especially those new structures that cannot be crystallized in their bulk counterparts, is of considerable interest owing to their strongly structure-dependent properties. Here, we have successfully synthesized and identified new-phase nanocrystals (NCs) associated with orthorhombic MnP-type (B31) MnS by utilizing an effective high-pressure technique. It is particularly worth noting that the generated new structured MnS NCs were captured as expected by quenching the high-pressure phase to the ambient conditions at room temperature. Likewise, the commercially available bulk rocksalt (RS) MnS material underwent unambiguously a reversible phase transition when the pressure was released completely. First-principles calculations further supported that the B31-MnS was more energetically preferable than the RS one under high pressure, which can be plausibly interpreted by the structural buckling with respect to zigzagged arrangements within B31 unit cell. Our findings represent a significant step forward in a deeper understanding of the high-pressure phase diagram of MnS and even provide a promising strategy to prepare desired nanomaterials with new structures that do not exist in their bulk counterparts, thus greatly increasing the choice of materials for a variety of applications.