Phase controlled synthesis of transition metal carbide nanocrystals by ultrafast flash Joule heating

Deng, Bing; Wang, Zhe; Chen, Weiyin; Li, John Tianci; Luong, Duy Xuan; Carter, Robert A.; Gao, Guanhui; Yakobson, Boris I.; Zhao, Yufeng; Tour, James M.

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27878-1

Phase controlled synthesis of transition metal carbide nanocrystals by ultrafast flash Joule heating

Journal Article · Tue Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 2022 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27878-1· OSTI ID:1881501

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; Li, John Tianci ^[2]; Luong, Duy Xuan ^[2]; ^[2]; Gao, Guanhui ^[2]; ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[2]

Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Rice University
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Corban Univ., Salem, OR (United States)

Nanoscale carbides enhance ultra-strong ceramics and show activity as high-performance catalysts. Traditional lengthy carburization methods for carbide syntheses usually result in coked surface, large particle size, and uncontrolled phase. Here, a flash Joule heating process is developed for ultrafast synthesis of carbide nanocrystals within 1 s. Various interstitial transition metal carbides (TiC, ZrC, HfC, VC, NbC, TaC, Cr₂C₃, MoC, and W₂C) and covalent carbides (B₄C and SiC) are produced using low-cost precursors. By controlling pulse voltages, phase-pure molybdenum carbides including β-Mo₂C and metastable α-MoC_1-x and η-MoC_1-x are selectively synthesized, demonstrating the excellent phase engineering ability of the flash Joule heating by broadly tunable energy input that can exceed 3000 K coupled with kinetically controlled ultrafast cooling (>10⁴ K s^–1). Theoretical calculation reveals carbon vacancies as the driving factor for topotactic transition of carbide phases. The phase-dependent hydrogen evolution capability of molybdenum carbides is investigated with β-Mo₂C showing the best performance.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Office of Naval Research; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: FE0031794

OSTI ID:: 1881501

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 13; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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