Synthesis and Properties of Bulk Mg3WN4 in a Wurtzite-Derived Structure

Experimental synthesis of theoretically predicted materials with controlled elemental coordination environments can lead to the realization of useful properties, such as facile ion transport or ferroelectric switching. Among such materials are ternary nitrides in the Mg-W-N composition space, where several stable and metastable compounds have been predicted and synthesized recently in bulk and film forms. Here, we report for the first time on the bulk synthesis of Mg3WN4 in a wurtzite-derived crystal structure via a solid-state metathesis reaction. In situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction shows how the ion exchange proceeds from Li6WN4 + MgCl2 precursors to Mg3WN4 + LiCl products, with the reaction starting slowly near 380 degrees C and completing by 600 degrees C, including the presence of a competing disordered rocksalt-derived phase (Mg,W)N above 440 degrees C. The follow-up ex situ powder synthesis at 400 degrees C for 0.5 h with 10% excess MgCl2 reveals the cation-ordered nature of the wurtzite-derived Mg3WN4 structure with polar symmetry confirmed by second-harmonic generation measurements. Optical absorption spectra, chemical composition analysis, and electron microscopy imaging suggest that bulk Mg3WN4 obtained via metathesis reaction is prone to defect formation. Overall, this study shows that selective ex situ synthesis of the phase-pure ternary nitrides, informed by in situ measurements, is possible by carefully controlling the thermal budget of the reaction and paves the way toward property characterization of the Mg3WN4 wurtzite-derived material.