Abstract

Solid and Liquid Synthetic Routes of Vanadium, Niobium and Titanium Nano-metal Borides

Omar Ali Al-Zain and Al-Masoudi RS

The synthetic comparison between the solid and liquid phases of metal borides was subjected to empirical investigation. The solid phase direct reaction of V2O5, Nb2O5, Ta2O5 with excess elemental boron in a muffle furnace at 500, 700 and 1000°C for 2, 2 and 15 hours respectively, produced a mixture (as it could be seen from the xrd patterns) of MB2 and M2O5 (minimal oxides). SEM shows a superparamagnetism and Magnetic hysteresis proved that. The liquid phase reaction of Vanadium trichloride, VCl3, with sodium borohydride, NaBH4 (1:3 ratio), produced pure black nanocrystals and nanorods of VB2 as it is proved by xrd. Due to some ordering difficulties of Niobium and Tantalum salts liquid phase reactions couldn't be carried out.