title: The metal flux: a preparative tool for the exploration of intermetallic compounds.
abstract: This review highlights the use and great potential of liquid metals as exotic and powerful solvents (i.e. fluxes) for the synthesis of intermetallic phases. The results presented demonstrate that considerable advances in the discovery of novel and complex phases are achievable utilizing molten metals as solvents. A wide cross-section of examples of flux-grown intermetallic phases and related solids are discussed and a brief history of the origins of flux chemistry is given. The most commonly used metal fluxes are surveyed and where possible, the underlying principal reasons that make the flux reaction work are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, 320 Chemistry Building, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. kanatzid@cem.msu.edu
authors.forename: Mercouri G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kanatzidis
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pöttgen
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jeitschko
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012997:Solvents