FeScontaining

FeS-containing refers to chemical substances or materials that include iron sulfide (Fe-S) units or bonds. The term encompasses a range of inorganic solids, minerals, and synthetic compounds where iron is coordinated to sulfur, as well as biological systems that feature Fe-S clusters essential for electron transfer. Fe-S containing materials can be simple binary sulfides, nonstoichiometric phases, or complex clusters.

In natural settings, iron sulfide minerals include troilite, FeS, a stoichiometric iron sulfide, and nonstoichiometric pyrrhotite, Fe1−xS, which is often magnetic and common in igneous rocks and meteorites. Iron sulfide chemistry also includes FeS2, the mineral pyrite, though this has an Fe-S2 configuration rather than a simple FeS unit. FeS-containing minerals and phases influence ore genesis, magnetism, and sulfide mineralogy and can alter rock acoustics and weathering behavior.

In synthetic and applied contexts, FeS-containing materials are studied for catalysis, energy storage, and corrosion science. They serve as precursors for iron sulfide nanoparticles and thin films used in electrocatalysis and lithium- and sodium-storage devices. In biology and biochemistry, Fe-S clusters such as [2Fe-2S] or [4Fe-4S] in ferredoxins and related proteins are classic examples of Fe-S containing motifs that mediate electron transfer and catalysis.

Safety considerations include potential hydrogen sulfide generation when iron sulfides react with acids, and the handling of dusts from sulfide minerals.