Molybdenum-Ruthenium-Carbon Solid-Solution Alloy Nanoparticles: Can They Be Pseudo-Technetium Carbide?

Shinya Okazoe; Kohei Kusada; Yukihiro Yoshida; Mitsuhiko Maesato; Tomokazu Yamamoto; Takaaki Toriyama; Syo Matsumura; Shogo Kawaguchi; Yoshiki Kubota; Yusuke Nanba; Susan Meñez Aspera; Michihisa Koyama; Hiroshi Kitagawa

doi:10.1021/jacs.3c06594

Molybdenum-Ruthenium-Carbon Solid-Solution Alloy Nanoparticles: Can They Be Pseudo-Technetium Carbide?

J Am Chem Soc. 2023 Nov 8;145(44):24005-24011. doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c06594. Epub 2023 Oct 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
² The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
³ The Ultramicroscopy Research Center, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
⁴ Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
⁵ Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), SPring-8, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan.
⁶ Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
⁷ Research Initiative for Supra-Materials, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan.

PMID: 37883673
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06594

Abstract

Technetium (Tc), atomic number 43, is an element that humans cannot freely use even in the 21st century because Tc is radioactive and has no stable isotope. In this report, we present molybdenum-ruthenium-carbon solid-solution alloy (Mo_xRu_1-xC_y) nanoparticles (NPs) that are expected to have an electronic structure similar to that of technetium carbide (TcC_y). Mo_xRu_1-xC_y NPs were synthesized by annealing under a helium/hydrogen atmosphere following thermal decomposition of metal precursors. The obtained NPs had a solid-solution structure in the whole composition range. Mo_xRu_1-xC_y with a cubic structure (down to 30 atom % Mo in the metal ratio) showed a superconducting state, and the transition temperature (T_c) increased with increasing Mo composition. The continuous change in T_c across that of TcC_y indicates the continuous control of the electronic structure by solid-solution alloying, leading to pseudo-TcC_y. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the synthesized Mo_0.53Ru_0.47C_0.41 has a similar electronic structure to TcC_0.41.