Breaking molecular nitrogen under mild conditions with an atomically clean lanthanide surface

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel method to break molecular nitrogen (N2) under mild conditions using lanthanide surfaces, enabling the growth of lanthanide nitride thin films at room temperature and low pressure.

Contribution

The study introduces a new approach for N2 activation on lanthanide surfaces, allowing nitrogen incorporation and reversible reactions at mild conditions, which was not previously achieved.

Findings

Successful growth of lanthanide nitride thin films confirmed by X-ray diffraction.

Immediate surface and slower bulk reactions observed via conductance measurements.

Partial reversibility of nitrogen incorporation demonstrated through cycling vacuum and N2 conditions.

Abstract

A route to break molecular nitrogen (N2) under mild conditions is demonstrated by N2 gas cracking on, and incorporation into, lanthanide films. Successful growth of lanthanide nitride thin films, made by evaporation of lanthanides in a partial N2 atmosphere at room temperature and pressure as low as 10-4 Torr, is confirmed using X-ray diffraction. In-situ conductance measurements of pure lanthanide thin films exposed to N2 gas show an immediate surface reaction and a slower bulk reaction. Finally, we report partial reversal of the nitrogen incorporation in a lanthanide nitride by cycling vacuum and nitrogen conditions in the sample chamber.A route to break molecular nitrogen (N2) under mild conditions is demonstrated by N2 gas cracking on, and incorporation into, lanthanide films. Successful growth of lanthanide nitride thin films, made by evaporation of lanthanides in a partial N2 atmosphere at room temperature and pressure as low as 10-4 Torr, is confirmed using X-ray diffraction. Insitu conductance measurements of pure lanthanide thin films exposed to N2 gas show an immediate surface reaction and a slower bulk reaction. Finally, we report partial reversal of the nitrogen incorporation in a lanthanide nitride by cycling vacuum and nitrogen conditions in the sample chamber.