The influence of phase and morphology of molybdenum nitrides on ammonia synthesis activity and reduction characteristics
- WestCHEM, Department of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom)
- Laboratorio de Catalisis, Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, UMSNH, Edificio E, C.U., Morelia Mich. (Mexico)
The reactivities of a series of ternary and binary molybdenum nitrides have been compared. Data have been obtained for the catalytic synthesis of ammonia at 400 deg. C and ambient pressure using a 3:1 H{sub 2}:N{sub 2} mixture. Amongst the ternary nitrides, the mass normalised activity is in the order Co{sub 3}Mo{sub 3}N>Fe{sub 3}Mo{sub 3}N>>Ni{sub 2}Mo{sub 3}N. For the binary molybdenum nitrides, the ammonia synthesis activity is significantly lower than that of Co{sub 3}Mo{sub 3}N and Fe{sub 3}Mo{sub 3}N and varies in the order {gamma}-Mo{sub 2}N{approx}{beta}-Mo{sub 2}N{sub 0.78}>>{delta}-MoN. Nanorod forms of {beta}-Mo{sub 2}N{sub 0.78} and {gamma}-Mo{sub 2}N exhibit generally similar activities to conventional polycrystalline samples, demonstrating that the influence of catalyst morphology is limited for these two materials. In order to characterise the reactivity of the lattice nitrogen species of the nitrides, temperature programmed reactions with a 3:1 H{sub 2}:Ar mixture at temperatures up to 700 deg. C have been performed. For all materials studied, the predominant form of nitrogen lost was N{sub 2}, with smaller amounts of NH{sub 3} being formed. Post-reaction powder diffraction analyses demonstrated lattice shifts in the case of Co{sub 3}Mo{sub 3}N and Ni{sub 2}Mo{sub 3}N upon temperature programmed reaction with H{sub 2}/Ar. Incomplete decomposition yielding mixtures of Mo metal and the original phase were observed for Fe{sub 3}Mo{sub 3}N and {gamma}-Mo{sub 2}N, whilst {beta}-Mo{sub 2}N{sub 0.78} transforms completely to Mo metal and {delta}-MoN is converted to {gamma}-Mo{sub 2}N. - Graphical abstract: Nanorod {gamma}-Mo{sub 2}N.
- OSTI ID:
- 21043895
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Vol. 181, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2007.12.001; PII: S0022-4596(07)00510-5; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0022-4596
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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