Abstract Scope |
The synthesis of functional carbides and nitrides, especially when pushing for new chemical compositions, is far from trivial. Materials of interest include layered solids, such as MAX phases, and potential magnetocalorics, e.g. antiperovskite phases. Our group uses diverse preparation techniques to access new versions of these intriguing types of materials, recent examples include Cr2GaC in the shape of carbonaceous microwires, hollow and full microspheres as well as hitherto unknown carbonitride phases, such as Cr2GaC1-xNx and V2GaC1-xNx. We specialize in non-conventional methods, such as sol-gel chemistry4–6 and microwave heating7 to synthesize the target compounds.
In this talk, I will highlight our molecular-level synthesis strategies, especially those based on sol-gel chemistry. They are very well known for the preparation of oxides; however, we have developed a technique to access complex carbides and carbonitrides. Examples that I will discuss include MAX phases as well as the antiperovskite Mn3GaC. |