Pressure-driven molten-salt route yields colloidal metal-nitride nanocrystals

A general solution‑phase method uses ammonia dissolved in molten inorganic salts under elevated pressure to synthesize colloidal refractory metal nitride nanocrystals (TiN, VN, GaN, NbN, Mo2N, Ta3N5, TaN, W2N) and Ti1−xVxN, extending molten-salt synthesis to early TMNs that normally require very high temperatures. Ammonia acts as a reactive ligand and redox environment, enabling high‑pressure ammonothermal conditions that stabilize colloids in salt media. DFT and AIMD simulations provide structural insight, and the method broadens the library of solution‑processable nitride NCs with potential applications in optoelectronics, energy and healthcare; data and supplementary information are publicly available.