Niobium nitride

Niobium nitride is a compound of niobium and nitrogen (nitride) with the chemical formula NbN. At low temperatures (about 16 K) NbN becomes a superconductor, and is used in detectors for infrared light.

Uses

 * Niobium nitride's main use is as a superconductor.
 * Detectors based on it can detect a single photon in the 1-10 micrometer section of the infrared spectrum, which is important for astronomy and telecommunications. It can detect changes up to 25 gigahertz.
 * Superconducting NbN nanowires can be used in particle detectors with high magnetic fields.
 * Niobium nitride is also used in absorbing anti-reflective coatings.
 * In 2015, it was reported that Panasonic Corp. has developed a photocatalyst based on niobium nitride that can absorb 57% of sunlight to support the decomposition of water to produce hydrogen gas as fuel for electrochemical fuel cells.