| Transition metal (both monometallic and bimetallic) carbides have been synthesized by an amine-metal oxide composite (AMOC) method. The composite reduces the diffusion distances among each element and allows the formation of carbides to take place as low as 610°C, which is significantly lower than traditional carbide synthesis methods (above 1500°C). Additionally, amines act not only as carbon sources and reducing agents, but also morphological templates which helps to make uniform transition metal carbide (TMC) nanocrystals with various shapes. Beyond morphology control, AMOC method can also help to synthesize multiple phases of monometallic carbides, which includes four phases of molybdenum carbides (alpha-MoC1-x, beta-Mo2C, eta-MoC, and gamma-MoC), two phases of tungsten carbides (W2C and WC), and three phases of chromium carbides (Cr3C2-x, Cr7C3, and Cr3C2).;Molybdenum carbide has been proposed as a possible alternative to platinum for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Previous studies were limited to only one phase, which is beta-Mo2C with an Fe 2N structure. Here, four molybdenum carbide materials including gamma-MoC with a WC type structure which was stabilized for the first time as a phase pure nanomaterial. Moreover, a wide range of magnetic iron-doped molybdenum carbide (Mo2-xFexC) nanomaterials were also synthesized, which exhibits a better HER activity to non-doped beta-Mo2C.;A group of (CrxFe1-x)7C3 (0.2< x<1) solid solutions have also been synthesized for the first time as nanomaterials via AMOC method, which demonstrate excellent catalytic activities for both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Other carbides/nitrides made from AMOCs include WN1-x, Fe3C, Fe3-xN, Fe3Mo3C, N 2Mo3C, Ni3Mo3C, Ni6Mo 6C, and Mo0.5W0.5C. |
