Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles
Published on: November 27, 2015
Direct access to macroporous chromium nitride and chromium titanium nitride with inverse opal structure
Weitian Zhao1, Francis J DiSalvo
1Powder Technology Laboratory (LTP), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract:
We report a facile synthesis of single-phase, nanocrystalline macroporous chromium nitride and chromium titanium nitride with an inverse opal morphology. The material is characterized using XRD, SEM, HR-TEM/STEM, TGA and XPS. Interconversion of macroporous CrN to Cr2O3 and back to CrN while retaining the inverse opal morphology is also demonstrated.
Related Concept Videos
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...

