A Nickel Sulfide is a moderately water soluble Nickel source. This is a fairly well known fact. The sulfide is a member of the metallic family and is found in the form of pentlandite, a mineral commonly referred to as nickel silver. Its ilk is a fairly common constituent in many nickel bearing ores such as manganese, titanium, and chromium. In fact, the bulk of the nickel mined comes from magmatic sulfide ores.
There is more to the nickel sulfide than meets the eye. Its chemical formula is a jumble of Nickel and a variety of sulfate salts. Some of the more interesting components include the NiCl2 and NiCl3. Interestingly, the sulfate may be a precursor to the sulfide itself.
In the context of the metal, it is not surprising that the nickel sulfide has been tasked with a number of tasks from forming metal based batteries, to a plethora of nanomaterials destined for applications in energy and medical devices. Of course, the best use for the material is in the production of alloys that serve as the basis for the latest generation of high-tech gadgets.
A Nickel Sulfide/graphitic carbon nitride/strontium titanate composite has shown impressive activity in the hydrogen production department. A thin carbon layer improves the hydrogen evolution efficiency by a factor of two or three compared to its nickel sulfide precursor. The most interesting aspect of this composite is the fact that it enables the use of a much larger percentage of a given dose of NiCl3 than is possible with its individual component components.
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