Preparation of tungsten cobalt carbides and oxide via an organometallic heterobimetallic complex as a single-source precursor

Tungsten cobalt carbides and oxides can be obtained via a single-step pyrol ysis of an organometallic single-source precursor (eta(5)-C5H5)(CO)(3)WCo(C O)(4) (1), Pyrolysis of 1 in an oxygen atmosphere produced WCoO4 at 600 deg rees C, In a nitrogen atmosphere W6Co6C was obtained when was heated at 700 degrees C. However, under vacuum, the pyrolysis of 1 produced. the other p hase-W3Co3C-at 700 degrees C Both carbides were contaminated with graphitic carbon, as indicated by their ESCA spectra. Powders that were obtained by using these procedures had particle sizes of up to 100 mu m, Micrography sh owed that the particles mere porous, which indicated outgassing during pyro lysis.