Synthesis and characterization of nanoscale composite particles formed by 2D layers of Cu-Fe sulfide and Mg-based hydroxide

Two-dimensional phenomena are attracting enormous interest at present and the search for novel 2D materials is very challenging. We propose here the layered material valleriite composed of altering atomic sheets of Cu-Fe sulfide and Mg-based hydroxide synthesized via a simple hydrothermal pathway as particles of 50-200 nm in the lateral size and 10-20 nm thick. The solid products and aqueous colloids prepared with various precursor ratios were examined using XRD, TEM, EDS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS), Raman, Mössbauer, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopies, magnetic, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements. The material properties are largely determined by the narrow-gap (less than 0.5 eV) sulfide layers containing Cu+ and Fe3+ cations, monosulfide and minor polysulfide anions but are strongly affected by the hydroxide counterparts. Particularly, Fe distribution between sulfide (55-90%) and magnesium hydroxide layers is controlled through insertion of Al into the hydroxide part and by Cr and Co dopants entering both layers. Room-temperature Mössbauer signals of paramagnetic Fe3+ transformed to several Zeeman sextets with hyperfine magnetic fields up to 500 kOe in the sulfide layers at 4 K. Paramagnetic or more complicated characters were observed for valleriites with higher and lower Fe concentrations in hydroxide sheets, respectively. Valleriite colloids showed negative zeta potentials, suggesting negative electric charging of the hydroxide sheets, and optical absorption maxima between 500 nm and 700 nm, also depended on the Fe distribution. The last features observed also in the REELS spectra may be due to localized surface plasmon or, more likely, quasi-static dielectric resonance. The tunable composition, electronic, magnetic, optic and surface properties highlight valleriites as a rich platform for novel 2D composites promising for numerous applications.