Synthesis of nanocomposites containing tantalum or molybdenum nitride with silicon imidonitride

Ammonolysis of solutions containing tetrakis(methylamido)silane and either pentakis(dimethylamido)tantalum(V) or tetrakis(dimethylamido)molybdenum(IV) results in gels that can be pyrolysed in ammonia to yield metal-containing amorphous silicon nitride compositions. The tantalum-containing samples remain amorphous to 1000 °C, though there is evidence of some metal clustering, whereas the molybdenum-containing samples crystallise molybdenum nitride nanorods at 1000 °C