Facile Solid-State Synthesis Route to Metal Nitride Nanoparticles

By a facile and efficient solid-state reaction route using an organic reagent cyanamide (CN2H2) as a precursor with another one being metal oxides, we successfully synthesized seven technologically important metal nitrides including cubic VN, CrN, NbN, hexagonal GaN, AlN, BN, and WIN at moderate temperatures. The experimental results show that cyanamide (CN2H2) is a powerfully reducing and nitridizing reagent and the metal oxides are completely converted into the corresponding nitride nanoparticles at lower temperatures than that reported in the conventional methods. It is found that CN2H2 can exhibit some interesting condensation processes, and the final products, highly active carbon nitride species, play a crucial role in the reducing and nitridizing processes.