Room temperature synthesis of ReS₂ through aqueous perrhenate sulfidation

In this study, a direct sulfidation reaction of ammonium perrhenate (NH₄ReO₄) leading to a synthesis of rhenium disulfide (ReS₂) is demonstrated. These findings reveal the first example of a simplistic bottom-up approach to the chemical synthesis of crystalline ReS₂. The reaction presented here takes place at room temperature, in an ambient and solvent-free environment and without the necessity of a catalyst. The atomic composition and structure of the as-synthesized product were characterized using several analysis techniques including energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The results indicated the formation of a lower symmetry (1T) ReS₂ with a low degree of layer stacking.