Room temperature synthesis in liquid ammonia of tin sulfide

Abstract

Reaction of elemental tin with sulfur in liquid ammonia at room temperature affords an intimate mixture of X-ray amorphous metal sulfides (SnS, SnS2) and a trace of tin metal. Thermolysis of this material at 300-350°C for 2 hrs. produced crystalline tin (II) sulfide (SnS - Herzenbergite). Products were characterised by elemental analysis, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, 119Sn NMR, X-ray powder diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXA).