Data for Nanostructured niobium and titanium carbonitrides as electrocatalyst supports

Nanostructured niobium-titanium carbonitrides, (Nb,Ti)C1-xNx, with the cubic-rock salt structure are prepared without the use of reactive gases, via thermal treatment (700 -1200 C) under nitrogen of mixtures of guanidine carbonate and ammonium niobate (V) oxalate hydrate, with addition of ammonium titanyl oxalate monohydrate as a titanium source. The bulk structure and chemical composition of the materials are characterised using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and powder neutron diffraction, elemental homogeneity is studied using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and surface chemical analysis is examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Nanoscale crystallites of between 10 and 50 nm are observed by TEM, where EDS reveals the homogeneity of metals distribution for the mixed-metal materials. Titanium carbonitrides are found to be air sensitive, reacting with air under ambient conditions, while titanium-niobium carbonitrides are found to degrade in aqueous sulfuric acid. The niobium carbonitrides, however show some stability towards acidic solutions.