Monitoring the carburization of molybdenum bimetallic nitrides and oxynitrides with CH4/H2/Ar mixtures: identification of a new carbonitride.

A new carbonitride Ni2Mo3(CxNy) has been synthesized by temperature-programmed carburization of the Ni2Mo3N precursor with a CH4/H2/Ar gas mixture at 923 K. This compound has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, Auger electron spectroscopy, laser Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Ni2Mo3(CxNy) crystallizes in the cubic space group P4(1)32, with a lattice parameter of a=6.64575(3) A, corresponding to the unusual filled beta-Mn structure. Its formation occurs by partial substitution of N by C via a topotactic and pseudomorphic reaction and its stability in air is higher that of Ni2Mo3N. A two-phase mixture wi…