Towards Volatile Organoselenium Compounds with Cost-Effective Synthesis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• The limited availability of volatile organoselenium precursors hinders advancements in atomic layer deposition (ALD).
• Developing new, stable, and easily synthesized selenium precursors is crucial for ALD applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the facile and cost-effective preparation of novel organoselenium compounds.
• To expand the portfolio of volatile precursors for atomic layer deposition.
• To optimize synthesis for industrial scalability and reduced cost.

Main Methods:

• Optimized synthesis of bis(trialkylstannyl)selenides, selenole, and bis(trialkylsilyl)selenides.
• Utilized readily available starting materials and simple heating in a pressure vessel.
• Characterization via multinuclear NMR and GC/MS; thermal properties analyzed by DSC and TGA.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized six new organoselenium compounds: two bis(trialkylstannyl)selenides, one selenole, and three bis(trialkylsilyl)selenides.
• Optimized synthetic routes minimize additives, catalysts, and purification steps.
• Compounds exhibit thermal stability ranging from 160-300 °C, suitable for ALD processes.

Conclusions:

• The developed organoselenium compounds are promising volatile precursors for atomic layer deposition.
• The cost-effective and scalable synthesis offers a viable alternative to existing precursors.
• These compounds can facilitate the deposition of selenium-containing thin films.