Systematic study of formation and crystal structure of 3d-transition metal nitrides synthesized in a supercritical nitrogen fluid under 10 GPa and 1800 K using diamond anvil cell and YAG laser heating

Syntheses of 3d-transition metal (Ti-Cu) nitrides have been tried in a supercritical nitrogen fluid at high pressures (about 10 GPa) and high temperatures (about 1800 K) using diamond anvil cell and YAG laser heating system. Nitrides, such as TiN, VN, CrN, Mn3N2, Fe2N, Co2N and Ni3N have been successfully synthesized easily by a simple direct nitriding reaction between metal and fluid nitrogen in a short time, while any Cu nitrides were not synthesized. These results indicate that the ratio of nitrogen to metal, N/M, of the nitride decreases from 1 to 0 with the sequence from the early transition metal nitrides to the late transition metal ones. The systematic change of the N/M ratio and crystal structure of the 3d-transition metal nitrides is discussed and interpreted on the basis of the electron arrangement of the 3d-transition metal which is relevant to its coordination number. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.