Multifunctionality of silver closo-boranes

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15136
• Publication Date: 2017-04-26T11:14:44Z
• Authors: Mark Paskevicius; Bjarne R. S. Hansen; Mathias Jørgensen; Bo Richter; Torben R. Jensen
• Keywords: DECOMPOSITION; 2. Zero hunger; SODIUM SUPERIONIC CONDUCTION; STABILITY; Science; Q; SOLID ELECTROLYTES; 500; LI2B12H12; 02 engineering and technology; DODECABORATE; 01 natural sciences; Article; 0104 chemical sciences; CHEMISTRY; LIBH4; LITHIUM; CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES; 0210 nano-technology; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/500

AbstractSilver compounds share a rich history in technical applications including photography, catalysis, photocatalysis, cloud seeding and as antimicrobial agents. Here we present a class of silver compounds (Ag2B10H10 and Ag2B12H12) that are semiconductors with a bandgap at 2.3 eV in the green visible light spectrum. The silver boranes have extremely high ion conductivity and dynamic-anion facilitated Ag+ migration is suggested based on the structural model. The ion conductivity is enhanced more than two orders of magnitude at room temperature (up to 3.2 mS cm−1) by substitution with AgI to form new compounds. Furthermore, the closo-boranes show extremely fast silver nano-filament growth when excited by electrons during transmission electron microscope investigations. Ag nano-filaments can also be reabsorbed back into Ag2B12H12. These interesting properties demonstrate the multifunctionality of silver closo-boranes and open up avenues in a wide range of fields including photocatalysis, solid state ionics and nano-wire production.