Synthesis of Mo₂C by Thermal Decomposition of Molybdenum Blue Nanoparticles

In recent years, the development of methods for the synthesis of Mo₂C for catalytic application has become especially important. In this work a series of Mo₂C samples was synthesized by thermal decomposition of molybdenum blue xerogels obtained using ascorbic acid. The influence of the molar ratio reducing agent/Mo [R]/[Mo] on morphology, phase composition and characteristics of the porous structure of Mo₂C has been established. The developed synthesis method allows the synthesis to be carried out in an inert atmosphere and does not require a carburization step. The resulting molybdenum carbide has a mesoporous structure with a narrow pore size distribution and a predominant pore size of 4 nm.