Synthesis and characterization of a binary noble metal nitride

• Published in: Nature materials Vol. 3; no. 5; pp. 294 - 297
• Main Authors: Gregoryanz, Eugene, Sanloup, Chrystele, Somayazulu, M., Badro, James, Fiquet, Guillaume, Mao, Ho-kwang, Hemley, Russell J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.05.2004; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Computer Simulation; Condensed Matter Physics; Cross-sections; letter; Materials Science; Materials Testing; Metals; Metals - chemical synthesis; Metals - chemistry; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Nanotechnology; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Compounds - chemical synthesis; Nitrogen Compounds - chemistry; Optical and Electronic Materials; Platinum; Platinum Compounds - chemical synthesis; Platinum Compounds - chemistry; Pressure; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Surface Properties; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1476-1122; 1476-4660
• DOI: 10.1038/nmat1115

There has been considerable interest in the synthesis of new nitrides because of their technological and fundamental importance 1 , 2 . Although numerous metals react with nitrogen there are no known binary nitrides of the noble metals. We report the discovery and characterization of platinum nitride (PtN), the first binary nitride of the noble metals group. This compound can be formed above 45–50 GPa and temperatures exceeding 2,000 K, and is stable after quenching to room pressure and temperature. It is characterized by a very high Raman-scattering cross-section with easily observed second- and third-order Raman bands. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction shows that the new phase is cubic with a remarkably high bulk modulus of 372(±5) GPa.