High-pressure synthesis and compressive behavior of tantalum nitrides

WC- and NaCl-type tantalum mononitrides and hexagonal Ta5N6 were prepared at high pressure and temperature, and their compressive behaviors were examined using in situ high-pressure X-ray diffraction. Comparison of the formula volumes of the tantalum mononitrides indicated that the NaCl type was the densest phase. The P–V data showed that the WC-type structure had the highest bulk modulus value (K0 = 351(1) GPa). An analysis of the compression properties in terms of the crystallographic characteristics of the structures indicated that a prismatic polyhedral array with face-sharing connectivity was responsible for the incompressible nature of these tantalum nitrides.