Transition metal polysulfides and their potential applications

Low-dimensional transition metal polysulfides are an interesting family of compounds, which have in common the presence of disulfide groups S-S. This feature dictates their unusual chemistry and electrochemistry. We have optimized synthetic procedures and systematically studied sulfides of IV-VI groups, such as TiS
₃
, ZrS
₃
, VS
₄
, NbS
₃
, CrS
₃
etc. in their bulk and nanosized forms. The nanosized samples were prepared by liquid-phase exfoliation of the bulk counterparts. Our preliminary studies show the promise of such materials for a variety of applications, including transistors, Li-ion batteries, and photocatalysis.