Sustainable and rapid preparation of nanosized Fe/Ni-pentlandite particles by mechanochemistry. Issue 47 (14th November 2020) - Tetzlaff, David
Abstract : A sustainable and rapid mechanochemical method for the preparation of bimetallic nanosized pentlandite particles as cathode material is developed and tested within zero-gap PEM cells. Abstract : In recent years, metal-rich sulfides of the pentlandite type (M9 S8 ) have attracted considerable attention for energy storage applications. However, common synthetic routes towards pentlandites either involve energy intensive high temperature procedures or solvothermal methods with specialized precursors and non-sustainable organic solvents. Herein, we demonstrate that ball milling is a simple and efficient method to synthesize nanosized bimetallic pentlandite particles (Fe4.5 Ni4.5 S8, Pn) with an average size of ca. 250 nm in a single synthetic step from elemental- or sulfidic mixtures. We herein highlight the effects of the milling ball quantity, precursor types and milling time on the product quality. Along this line, Raman spectroscopy as well as temperature/pressure monitoring during the milling processes provide valuable insights into mechanistic differences between the mechanochemical Pn-formation. By employing the obtained Pn-nanosized particles as cathodic electrocatalysts for water splitting in a zero-gap PEM electrolyzer we provide a comprehensive path for a potential sustainable future process involving non-noble metal catalysts.