Andrew Hector tells Journal of Materials Chemistry about his hot paper.

Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist?

Metal nitrides have many useful properties in electronics, engineering and catalysis. This paper describes a new method to make some of these important materials as thin coatings but is also the first step in producing metal nitrides in a series of forms that are not currently accessible. We believe this is likely to increase the number of sectors in which metal nitride materials can perform useful roles.

Andrew Hector

What has motivated you to conduct this work? 

Metal nitrides produced either as powders or as thin films by vapour deposition have a surprisingly high number of important uses. The forms in which they can be produced are currently very limited and this work came from the idea that making new forms available, or even just new ways to produce materials that might be applicable in different systems, would be very likely to provide new applications. 

Where do you see this work developing in the future?

We have already been working on producing monolithic metal nitride materials and still have work to do in the area, but these methods should be applicable to a variety of other morphologies as well as films and there are a number of target materials that have interesting potential functionalities. 

Are there any particular challenges facing future research in this area?

We see the sol-gel deposition of films as the first step in developing methods to produce a series of another morphologies. The processing is easiest with films and so the control over the chemistry needs to take another step in order to produce some of the other interesting materials.

Andrew Hector obtained a BSc in Chemistry from Imperial College, London in 1992. His PhD was awarded at University College London. He then moved to Southampton as a postdoctoral fellow, working on the synthesis and structure of complex fluorides and oxide fluorides, then on secondary lithium battery cathode materials. Andrew took up a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in October 2000 and was appointed to a lectureship in December 2005. His research interests focus on the use of precursor chemistry to produce new materials, and the detailed characterisation of these materials.