MICROWAVE-ASSISTED SOLID-STATE REACTIONS INVOLVING METAL POWDERS

The ability of metal powders to couple to microwave radiation at 2450 MHz has been used to accelerate a range of solid-state reactions. Alth ough metal objects cause extensive arcing within a microwave cavity, m etal powders couple in a more conventional manner with the microwave r adiation and experience high heating rates. This property has been uti lised for the synthesis of metal chalcogenides and metal cluster compo unds of the Group 5 and 6 elements.