Accelerated Lanthanide Intercalation into Graphite Catalyzed by Na.
Akira IyoHiroshi FujihisaYoshito GotohShigeyuki IshidaHiroshi EisakiHiraku OginoKenji KawashimaPublished in: Inorganic chemistry (2024)
Lanthanides ( Ln ) are notoriously difficult to intercalate into graphite. We investigated the possibility of using Na to catalyze the formation of Ln -intercalated graphite and successfully synthesized Ln C 6 ( Ln = Sm, Eu, and Yb) significantly rapidly in high yields. The synthesis process involves the formation of the reaction intermediate NaC x , through the mixing of Na and C, which subsequently reacts with Ln upon heating to form Ln C 6 . Well-sintered Ln C 6 pellets with low residual Na concentrations ( Ln :Na ≈ 98:2) were fabricated by the two-step method. The pellets enabled the evaluation of Ln C 6 by powder X-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity measurements. This study highlights the versatility of the Na-catalyzed method and lays the foundation for the rapid mass production of Ln C 6 , with potential applications in superconducting and rechargeable battery materials.