Thermal stability and the formation of conducting materials from tricobalt-carbyne clusters

The conductivity of microcrystalline mono‐ or biscarbyne capped tricobalt clusters and a preliminary study of the physical properties of the thermally decomposed materials are presented. Solid materials with high conductivites are produced by the controlled decomposition of the non‐ conducting carbonyl clusters in which there are two cluster units or an alkyne/cluster system. Processes leading to conducting solids were studied by thermogravimetric, mass spectral, DRIFT and SEM techniques. Bi‐capped clusters are thermally stable insulators but it is suggested that doped materials will show increased conductivity.