In Situ Synthesis of Nanostructured WC ‐ C o Within Silica Gel Matrix

In situ reduction of tungstic acid and cobalt chloride by dextrose in silica gel resulted in co‐deposition of tungsten carbide‐cobalt ( WC – C o) nanoparticles with different proportions of cobalt (5–15 wt % of WC ). X ‐ray powder diffraction ( XRD ), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy ( HRTEM ), scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) and F ourier‐transform infrared ( FT ‐ IR ) spectroscopy have been used for characterizing these nanoparticles. WC ‐ C o aggregates of 25–30 nm size have been achieved, successfully.