A highly reactive precursor in the iron sulfide system.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30087338.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-05493-x and PMC identifier 6081449.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Iron sulfur (Fe-S) phases have been implicated in the emergence of life on early Earth due to their catalytic role in the synthesis of prebiotic molecules. Similarly, Fe-S phases are currently of high interest in the development of green catalysts and energy storage. Here we report the synthesis and structure of a nanoparticulate phase (FeS<sub>nano</sub>) that is a necessary solid-phase precursor to the conventionally assumed initial precipitate in the iron sulfide system, mackinawite. The structure of FeS<sub>nano</sub> contains tetrahedral iron, which is compensated by monosulfide and polysulfide sulfur species. These together dramatically affect the stability and enhance the reactivity of FeS<sub>nano</sub>.
Medical subject headings
- Ferrous Compounds
- Iron
- Sulfides