Intercalation of MoCl5 into graphite-determining factor to control stage structure

The mechanism of formation of MoCl5–graphite intercalation compounds (MoCl5–GICs) was proposed on the basis of the experimental results obtained in the present and previous works. The amount of reactive chlorine formed in the reaction system was concluded to be the determining factor for the stage structure in resulting MoCl5–GICs. Reactive atomic chlorine produced during the decomposition of only 2% MoCl6, which was formed from MoCl5 at high temperature, seemed not enough for the formation of pure stage 1 MoCl5–GIC and therefore only stage 2 structure was obtained. Heating the MoCl5 in presence of either MoOCl3 or MoO3 formed MoOCl4, which evolved high amount of reactive chlorine which formed the stage 1 MoCl5–GIC in single phase.