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

Bing Deng, Zhe Wang, Weiyin Chen, John Li (), Duy Xuan Luong, Robert A. Carter, Guanhui Gao, Boris I. Yakobson, Yufeng Zhao () and James M. Tour ()
Additional contact information
Bing Deng: Rice University
Zhe Wang: Rice University
Weiyin Chen: Rice University
Duy Xuan Luong: Rice University
Robert A. Carter: Rice University
Guanhui Gao: Rice University
Boris I. Yakobson: Rice University
Yufeng Zhao: Rice University
James M. Tour: Rice University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: 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 β-Mo2C and metastable α-MoC1-x and η-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 (>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.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27878-1

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