Review of nanoscale layered transition metal chalcogenide superconductors

Abstract

Here we summarized the nanoscale layered transition metal chalcogenide superconductors, mainly based on the experimental results. In transition-metal chalcogenides the interplay between strong electron-electron and electronphonon interactions produces a wide variety of instability ranging from charge density wave to superconducting state. The majority of bulk transition-metal dichalcogenides' Tcs are normally between 2 and 4 K. At present, superconducting transition-metal chalcogenides generally show low transition temperature (Tc < 10 K). Fe based transition-metal chalcogenides have certain higher Tc (in the range of 10 ~ 50 K). As have been reported, nano-transition-metal chalcogenides may be one of the routes to improve the superconducting transition temperature. In this review, we would like to give a brief introduction of superconductor development and crystal structure of transition-metal chalcogenides. Furthermore, we will describe major synthesis and physical properties of nano-transition-metal chalcogenides. Finally, recent status and outlook of superconductor based on nano-transition-metal chalcogenides are discussed.

Structural, microstructural and magnetic characterization of the β-CoTe nanophase synthesized by a novel mechanochemical method

“…20 Many techniques can produce better quality nanostructures but are oen more complicated and high cost (e.g. exfoliation and ion milling 21 ). Mechanochemistry, in this regard, offers a good alternative to lower production costs since it involves a single-step procedure (the milling) to react the initial reagents with a great difference in melting points, it does not use toxic catalytic materials as solvothermal routes do, and it can be easily scaled-up by bigger millers.…”