Reductive synthesis of metal antimonides

A new low temperature synthetic route to binary and ternary metal antimonides is reported. Binary transition metal antimonides prepared include CoSb3, CoSb2, CoSb, NiSb, NiSb2, Cu2Sb and Mo3Sb7; new ternary compositions prepared include the series Co1−xNixSb (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.9). The intermetallic SnSb has also been prepared by this route. The synthetic method is simple and does not require the use of very high temperatures, multi-step reactions or reaction under vacuum. Compounds were synthesised by the reduction of mixed metal oxides under 10% hydrogen in argon at moderate temperatures (approx. 450 °C). The route affords some control over the stoichiometry of the product. High purity binary phases formed include CoSb3, CoSb, NiSb, Cu2Sb and SnSb. Owing to the significantly different reduction temperatures of the starting metal oxides, Mo3Sb7 was formed with impurities of MoO2 and Sb metal. CoSb2 and NiSb2 were formed with impurities of CoSb3 and NiSb, respectively.