Mechanistic Investigation of the Formation of Nickel Nanocrystallites Embedded in Amorphous Silicon Nitride Nanocomposites

Abstract

Herein, we report the mechanistic investigation of the formation of nickel (Ni) nanocrys-tallites during the formation of amorphous silicon nitride at a temperature as low as 400◦C, using perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) as a preformed precursor and further coordinated by nickel chloride (NiCl2 ); thus, forming the non-noble transition metal (TM) as a potential catalyst and the support in an one-step process. It was demonstrated that NiCl2 catalyzed dehydrocoupling reactions between Si-H and N-H bonds in PHPS to afford ternary silylamino groups, which resulted in the formation of a nanocomposite precursor via complex formation: Ni(II) cation of NiCl2 coordinated the ternary silylamino ligands formed in situ. By monitoring intrinsic chemical reactions during the precursor pyrolysis under inert gas atmosphere, it was revealed that the Ni-N bond formed by a nucleophilic attack of the N atom on the Ni(II) cation center, followed by Ni nucleation below 300◦C, which was promoted by the decomposition of Ni nitride species. The latter was facilitated under the hydrogen-containing atmosphere generated by the NiCl2-catalyzed dehydrocoupling reaction. The increase of the temperature to 400◦C led to the formation of a covalently-bonded amorphous Si3N4 matrix surrounding Ni nanocrystallites.