Facile in-situ synthesis of NbB2 nanoparticles at low temperature

Niobium diboride (NbB2) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized at 800 degrees C in a single step from niobium penta-oxide (Nb2O5), magnesium (Mg) and borax (Na2B4O7 center dot 10H(2)O) in an autoclave. The synthesis temperature and holding time have been optimized to obtain single phase NbB2. The phase determination, thermal stability and morphological features of synthesized samples have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and electron microscopic technique respectively. Williamson-Hall (W-H) analysis has also been done to observe the effects of synthesis parameters (temperature and holding time) on crystal distortion. With the help of XRD, microstructural features and thermodynamic calculations, formation mechanism for the synthesized samples has been predicted. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.