A novel tungsten nitride, MoC-type WN, was synthesized
at 6 GPa and 1200 °C via nitridation of tungsten by ammonium
chloride as a nitrogen source. This compound is isostructural with
γ′-MoC, which has a hexagonal structure with a space
group of P63/mmc (No.
194). Micrometer-sized single crystals of MoC-type WN were grown in
molten ammonium chloride flux. In addition, NaCl-type WN and WC-type
WN were synthesized via nitridation by ammonium chloride at 6 GPa
and 1000 °C. Ammonium chloride is appropriate as a nitrogen source
for nitride synthesis under high pressure. The new WN phase crystallizes
in the hexagonal structure with unit cell parameters of a = 2.89248(2) Å and c = 10.17069(7) Å.
The chemical formula of MoC-type WN refined by the Rietveld analysis
from powder X-ray diffraction data was WN0.60(1). The zero-pressure
bulk modulus, K
0, of MoC-type WN was determined
to be 338(3) GPa, which can be expected to be a hard material.
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