[Publication] Intercalation of barium into graphite by molten salts method: synthesis of massive samples for crystal structure determination of BaC6
On the one hand, the mechanisms of intercalation of alkali and alkaline earth metals in carbon materials are still partly poorly understood, however these metal-carbon systems have a role to play in the development of new energy storage technologies. On the other hand, the intercalation into low dimensional structures allows to obtain model materials whose physical properties can be quite unique.
The intercalation of barium into graphite was carried out using a LiCl-KCl mixture heated at 450°C in which barium was dissolved before immersing a pyrographite platelet. It was thus possible to prepare bulk and massive samples of a BaC6 phase.
The high quality of the obtained samples allowed, with the help of IJL’s X-Gamma technical platform diffractometers, to determine the structure of the BaC6 compound which crystallizes in a hexagonal lattice with a P63/mmc space group. This structure could be confirmed by Raman spectroscopy (Optics and Laser technical platform), this type of measurements was carried out for the first time in the laboratory.
References:
Title: Intercalation of barium into graphite by molten salts method: synthesis of massive samples for crystal structure determination of BaC6
Authors: I. El Hajj, L. Speyer, S. Cahen, L. Herbuvaux, P. Lagrange, G. Medjahdi, C. Hérold
Journal: Carbon
Date of publication (online): October 2021
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2021.09.073
Image caption: Rotating crystal pattern of BaC6 (left) and its 2D unit cell commensurate with that of graphene (right)
