MICROPOROUS LAYERED TIN SULFIDE, SNS-1 - MOLECULAR-SIEVE OR INTERCALANT

The results of a detailed study of the structure, thermal/pressure sta bility, ion-exchange, amine intercalation and adsorption property rela tions, of microporous layered tin(IV) sulfides A(2)Sn(3)S(7), denoted SnS-1, where A = tetramethylammonium (TMA), quinuclidinium (QUIN), or tert-butylammonium (TEA), are reported and comparisons are made to zeo lites and layered metal sulfides. The thermal stability of the materia ls indicates potential for the removal of void filling organic templat e without affecting the integrity of the lattice. The sensitivity of t he materials to applied pressure is found to depend on the nature of t he occluded template. Aqueous ion-exchange and gas-phase exchange by a mines are observed in SnS-1 templated with the tertiary ammonium catio n. This allows for an intercalation-like process similar to the layere d chalcogenides. Adsorption isotherms for SnS-1 show it to exclude gas eous species of kinetic diameter > 3.4 Angstrom, thus acting as a mole cular sieve like zeolites and showing potential for catalysis, separat ion and chemical sensing applications.