Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorYin, Huayi
dc.contributor.authorChung, Brice Hoani Valentin
dc.contributor.authorSadoway, Donald Robert
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-24T20:55:54Z
dc.date.available2017-04-24T20:55:54Z
dc.date.issued2016-08
dc.date.submitted2016-07
dc.identifier.issn2041-1723
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/108389
dc.description.abstractMetals cannot be extracted by electrolysis of transition-metal sulfides because as liquids they are semiconductors, which exhibit high levels of electronic conduction and metal dissolution. Herein by introduction of a distinct secondary electrolyte, we reveal a high-throughput electro-desulfurization process that directly converts semiconducting molten stibnite (Sb[subscript 2]S[subscript 3]) into pure (99.9%) liquid antimony and sulfur vapour. At the bottom of the cell liquid antimony pools beneath cathodically polarized molten stibnite. At the top of the cell sulfur issues from a carbon anode immersed in an immiscible secondary molten salt electrolyte disposed above molten stibnite, thereby blocking electronic shorting across the cell. As opposed to conventional extraction practices, direct sulfide electrolysis completely avoids generation of problematic fugitive emissions (CO[subscript 2], CO and SO[subscript 2]), significantly reduces energy consumption, increases productivity in a single-step process (lower capital and operating costs) and is broadly applicable to a host of electronically conductive transition-metal chalcogenides.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipUnited States. Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (Award DE-AR0000047)en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipTOTAL (Firm)en_US
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherNature Publishing Groupen_US
dc.relation.isversionofhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12584en_US
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licenseen_US
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en_US
dc.sourceNatureen_US
dc.titleElectrolysis of a molten semiconductoren_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.identifier.citationYin, Huayi, Brice Chung, and Donald R. Sadoway. “Electrolysis of a Molten Semiconductor.” Nature Communications 7 (2016): 12584.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Materials Processing Centeren_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineeringen_US
dc.contributor.mitauthorYin, Huayi
dc.contributor.mitauthorChung, Brice Hoani Valentin
dc.contributor.mitauthorSadoway, Donald Robert
dc.relation.journalNature Communicationsen_US
dc.eprint.versionFinal published versionen_US
dc.type.urihttp://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticleen_US
eprint.statushttp://purl.org/eprint/status/PeerRevieweden_US
dspace.orderedauthorsYin, Huayi; Chung, Brice; Sadoway, Donald R.en_US
dspace.embargo.termsNen_US
mit.licensePUBLISHER_CCen_US


Files in this item

Thumbnail

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record