Nanostructured β-Mo₂C Prepared by Carbothermal Hydrogen Reduction on Ultrahigh Surface Area Carbon Material

Nanostructured β-Mo2C on an ultrahigh surface area carbon material (>3000 m2/g), a kind of novel carbon material with uniform pore distribution, was prepared by the carbothermal hydrogen reduction method. The Mo precursor and Mo2C have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, and temperature-programmed reduction mass spectroscopy. The data show that nanostructured β-Mo2C can be formed on the ultrahigh surface area carbon materials by carbothermal hydrogen reduction at ∼700 °C. The particle sizes of β-Mo2C increase with the increase of reaction temperatures. The carbothermal hydrogen reduction includes two successive steps: reduction of the MoO3 precursor by hydrogen and reaction between partially reduced molybdenum oxides and surface carbon atoms of carbon materials under the hydrogen atmosphere.