Transition metal nitrides solid-state reactions

Chromium nitrides have been prepared by several routes heating of chromium metal in N2, reaction of chromium borides with NH3, and heating of CrCly in gaseous NH3. The two stable nitrides have the composition Cr2N and CrN see Nitrides Transition Metal Solid-state Chemistry). At very high temperatures, both decompose into the constituent elements (CrN, > 1425 °C CryN, >700 °C). CrN is very stable chemically, while CryN dissolves in dilute acid with liberation OfH2. 

Surface reconstruction is inherent to surface oxidation and sulfidation chemistry. In involves essentially surface corrosion and surface compound formation phenomena. The state of a surface can change from a metallic state to that of a solid oxide, sulfide, carbide or nitride depending upon the reaction environment. The surface of the epoxidation catalyst, discussed earlier, in the absence of Cl or Cs, for example, has a composition similar to AgO in the oxidizing reaction environment of the epoxidation system. The oxidation of CO over Ru can readily lead to the formation of surface RUO2 (see Chapter 5). In desulfurization reactions the transition-metal surface is converted to a sulfide form. The reactivity of the surface in these systems begins to look chemically more similar to that of coordination complexes. This we will illustrate in Chapter 5 for the C0S/M0S2 system. 

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