Journal article
Phase controlled synthesis of transition metal carbide nanocrystals by ultrafast flash Joule heating
Nature communications, Vol.13(1), pp.262-262
01/11/2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27878-1
PMCID: PMC8752793
PMID: 35017518
Abstract
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 beta-Mo2C and metastable alpha-MoC1-x and eta-MoC1-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 (>10(4) 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 beta-Mo2C showing the best performance.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Phase controlled synthesis of transition metal carbide nanocrystals by ultrafast flash Joule heating
- Creators
- Bing Deng - Rice UniversityZhe Wang - Rice UniversityWeiyin Chen - Rice UniversityJohn Tianci Li - Rice UniversityDuy Xuan Luong - Rice UniversityRobert A. Carter - Rice UniversityGuanhui Gao - Rice UniversityBoris Yakobson - Rice UniversityYufeng Zhao - Rice UniversityJames M. Tour - Rice University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Vol.13(1), pp.262-262
- Publisher
- NATURE PORTFOLIO
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-021-27878-1
- PMID
- 35017518
- PMCID
- PMC8752793
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- eISSN
- 2041-1723
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- FA9550-19-1-0296 / Air Force Office of Scientific Research; United States Department of Defense; Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) W912HZ-21-2-0050 / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ERDC DE-FE0031794 / DOE-NETL; United States Department of Energy (DOE) N00014-18-1-2182 / Office of Naval Research
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/11/2022
- Academic Unit
- Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984696867402771
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