Atomic Layer Deposition of Iron Sulfide and Its Application as a Catalyst in the Hydrogenation of Azobenzenes.

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) of iron sulfide (FeS ) is reported for the first time. The deposition process employs bis(N,N'-di-tert-butylacetamidinato)iron(II) and H S as the reactants and produces fairly pure, smooth, and well-crystallized FeS thin films following an ideal self-limiting ALD growth behavior. The FeS films can be uniformly and conformally deposited into deep narrow trenches with aspect ratios as high as 10:1, which highlights the broad applicability of this ALD process for engineering the surface of complex 3D nanostructures in general. Highly uniform nanoscale FeS coatings on porous γ-Al O powder were also prepared. This compound shows excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of azo compounds under mild reaction conditions, demonstrating the promise of ALD FeS as a catalyst for organic reactions.