Synthesis of Solid State Materials

This lecture covers a variety of methods used to facilitate the synthesis of solid state compounds, including high temperature ceramic methods, hydrothermal/solvothermal methods, and the use of precursors. Good practices such as stoichiometric ratios of reactants, non-hygroscopic reactants, and appropriate reaction vessels are discussed. The lecture also addresses the challenges of avoiding volatile reactants, the types of furnaces used, and the problems related to mixing at the atomic scale. Various exercises on spinal structure composition and the use of different materials in synthesis are presented.