Enhancing electrical properties of SiHfBCN ceramics through Cu-catalyzed polymer-derived ceramic synthesis

In this study, we employed Cu-catalyzed polymer-derived ceramic methods at lower temperatures to synthesize SiHfBCN ceramics. The SiHfBCN-Cu single-source precursors were characterized using Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectrometry and thermal gravimetric analysis, while X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman Spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, and a four-point probe setup were utilized to investigate composition, microstructural evolution, and electrical conductivity. Our analysis revealed that the electrical conductivity of SiHfBCN-Cu ceramics, annealed at 1500 °C, reached an impressive 2409.6 S·m-¹. This improvement was attributed to the influence of pyrolysis temperature and Cu content, resulting in the formation of in-situ abundant graphite-like carbon, Cu nano crystallites and Hf1-xCuxC@C and SiC@C nanoparticles with core-shell structures constructed a three-dimensional conductive network. Importantly, Cu-catalyzed SiHfBCN ceramics at lower temperatures produced an abundance of graphite-like carbon ribbons, effectively enhancing their electrical conductivity. These findings highlight the potential of Cu-catalyzed SiHfBCN ceramics as high-temperature sensors for in-situ measurements in extreme environments.