Electrochemical synthesis of alkali-intercalated iron selenide superconductors

Electrochemical method has been used to insert K/Na into FeSe lattice to prepare alkali-intercalated iron selenides at room temperature. Magnetization measurement reveals that K_xFe₂Se₂ and Na_xFe₂Se₂ are superconductive at 31 K and 46 K, respectively. This is the first successful report of obtaining metal-intercalated FeSe-based high-temperature superconductors using electrochemical method. It provides an effective route to synthesize metal-intercalated layered compounds for new superconductor exploration. (paper)