Multi-walled carbon nanotubes decorated with titanium nanoparticles: synthesis and characterization

A chemical route to decorate MWCNTs by titanium nanoparticles has been developed. MWCNTs, grown by catalytic decomposition of propane, have been used to prepare intercalated K-MWCNTs, which are then reacted with Ti(IV) isopropoxide. The amount of Ti present in the nanostructure is 8.7 wt%. Several techniques have been used for a detailed characterization of MWCNTs decorated by Ti nanoparticles, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) as well as Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Titanium is found to be present as alpha-Ti(hcp) dispersed in very small particles, the size of the largest being similar to 2 nm. The Ti-containing phase appears to be fairly homogeneously distributed in the space between the two sides of a MWCNT. No intercalation of Ti between the CNT walls has been detected.