Metal carbides and methods of making the same
The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a metal carbide, where the method includes thermally treating a molecular precursor in an oxygen-free environment, such that the treating produces the metal carbide and the molecular precursor includes where M is the metal of the metal carbide, N* includes nitrogen or a nitrogen-containing functional group, and x is between zero and six, inclusively.
1. A method for producing a metal carbide, the method comprising:
thermally treating a molecular precursor in an oxygen-free environment, wherein:
the treating produces the metal carbide,
the molecular precursor comprises
M is the metal of the metal carbide,
A 1 comprises a first nitrogen-containing functional group, and
A 2 comprises a second nitrogen-containing functional group.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
A 1 and A 2 independently comprise at least one of
indicates a bond between A 1 and M and a bond between A 2 and M.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
A 1 and A 2 are covalently linked such that the
the molecular precursor comprises
and
R comprises at least one of a covalent bond or a linking group.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the linking group comprises a hydrocarbon.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a branched hydrocarbon or a straight-chained hydrocarbon.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a saturated hydrocarbon or an unsaturated hydrocarbon.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the molecular precursor comprises at least one of
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the molecular precursor comprises at least one of
and
each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 , independently comprise at least one of a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon.