High-Pressure Bulk Synthesis of InN by Solid-State Reaction of Binary Oxide in a Multi-Anvil Apparatus

We present a new method to synthesize bulk indium nitride by means of a simple solid-state chemical reaction carried out under hydrostatic high-pressure/high-temperature conditions in a multi-anvil apparatus, not involving gases or solvents during the process. The reaction occurs between the binary oxide In₂O₃ and the highly reactive Li₃N as the nitrogen source, in the powder form. The formation of the hexagonal phase of InN, occurring at 350 °C and P ≥ 3 GPa, was successfully confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, with the presence of Li₂O as a unique byproduct. A simple washing process in weak acidic solution followed by centrifugation allowed us to obtain pure InN polycrystalline powders as a precipitate. With an analogous procedure, it was possible to obtain pure bulk GaN, from Ga₂O₃ and Li₃N at T ≥ 600 °C and P ≥ 2.5 GPa. These results point out, particularly for InN, a clean, and innovative way to produce significant quantities of one of the most promising nitrides in the field of electronics and energy technologies.