Efficient Synthesis of Nanoscale Transition Metal Borides

Technology Application

Method enables the scale-up of transition metal borides at reduced temperatures, time and costs.

Detailed Technology Description

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Background

Transition metal borides are interesting compounds with unique properties. They may be used for various industrial applications such as batteries, superconductors, hard materials, catalysts among other uses. However since they are difficult to synthesize they are not extensively used in commercial applications. Current synthetic methods for these compounds such as solid state metathesis (SSM), arc melting and carbothermal reduction result in reaction products with large particle sizes, uncontrolled crystallization and mixed phase products. Also, the synthesis of transition metal borides requires temperatures above 1,000 °C or requires the use of highly reactive and toxic chemicals. Methods to synthesize these compounds at reduced temperatures and that involve the use of less toxic and reactive starting materials are highly desirable

Related Materials

Jothi, P. et al. A Simple, General Synthetic Route toward Nanoscale Transition Metal Borides. Advanced Materials, February 19, 2018

Tech ID/UC Case

29218/2017-861-0

Related Cases

2017-861-0

*Abstract

Researchers at UCR have developed a simple and efficient transition metal boride synthesis.  The transition metal borides are synthesized by directly heating metal chloride and elemental boron in the presence of reducing tin (Sn) between temperatures of 700-900 °C for about eight hours. The resulting transition metal boride products are single-phase nanocrystalline materials with an average size of 100 nm. MoB₂, MoB, Mo₂B₄, Mo₂B, CoB, FeB, VB₂, NbB, NbB₂, TaB₂ and WB were all synthesized using this new synthetic method.

 

Fig. 1a shows a sealed quartz tube that was heated to ~800 °C. The pellet at the bottom of the tube contains the desired transition metal boride product. The top of the tube contains crystallized SnCl₂. Fig. 1b is an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern taken of crystallized SnCl₂.

 

 

 

 

Fig. 2a is a comparison of the XRD patterns of  MoB₂ synthesized by the previously known method of solid state metathesis (red) and the new method described herein (blue).  Fig. 2b is a high resolution scanning electron microscope (HRSEM) image of MoB₂ synthesized by previously known solid state metathesis (SSM-MoB₂) and Fig. 2c shows materials synthesized by the new method. SSM-MoB₂ is contaminated by β-MoB and Mo, whereas Sn-MoB₂ reaction products are single phase without contamination. HRSEM shows nanospheres and nanorods for SSM-MoB₂ and Sn-MoB₂, respectively.

 

*Principal Investigator

Name: Boniface Fokwa

Department:

Name: Palani Jothi

Department:

Country/Region

USA

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