Abstract:
Group IV transition metal nitride (TMN) nanomaterials have seen a renaissance in the field of photochemistry and plasmonics. While many fundamental and applied reports have been demonstrated for binary TMNs, very few have been shown experimentally for ternary Group IV-IV nanoparticles. Computational studies have demonstrated the landscape and potential application of ternary nitrides; however the tunability of freestanding ternary nitride nanoparticles has yet to be demonstrated. The presented work employs a bottom-up, molecular approach for the synthesis of novel ternary transition metal nitrides of Zr and Hf, having the general formula AxB1-xN. Tuning the stoichiometry of the molecular precursors, affords varied ratios of each metal species in the final product. This synthetic ratio control enables tunability in the plasmonic absorption peak position as well as crystalline structure. The photochemical, crystallographic and morphological behaviour of the nanomaterials will be discussed.