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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Combining Solid-state and Solution-based Techniques: Synthesis and Reactivity of ChalcogenidoplumbatesII or IV
Published on: December 29, 2016
Synthesis and DFT investigation of new bismuth-containing MAX phases
Denis Horlait1, Simon C Middleburgh2,3, Alexander Chroneos1,4
1Department of Materials and Centre for Nuclear Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BP, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The Mn + 1AXn phases (M = early transition metal; A = group A element and X = C and N) are materials exhibiting many important metallic and ceramic properties. In the present study powder processing experiments and density functional theory calculations are employed in parallel to examine formation of Zr2(Al1-xBix)C (0 ≤ x ≤ 1). Here we show that Zr2(Al1-xBix)C, and particularly with x ≈ 0.58, can be formed from powders even though the end members Zr2BiC and Zr2AlC seemingly cannot. This represents a significant extension of the MAX phase family, as this is the first report of a bismuth-based MAX phase.
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