Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Titanium Diboride Nanoparticles

The products of reaction between TiCl4 and NaBH4 in NaCl/KCl or KBr ionic melts at 973 and 1023 K under an argon pressure of 5 MPa have been characterized by various physicochemical analysis techniques. The results demonstrate that these conditions lead to the formation of TiB2 nanoparticles with hexagonal symmetry (sp. gr. P6/mmm, AlB2 structure) and lattice parameters a = 0.3022-0.3025 nm and c = 0.3214-0.3221 nm. The average diameters of the TiB2 nanoparticles evaluated from electron microscopy, specific surface area, and X-ray diffraction (crystallite size) data for the two synthesis temperatures are similar to 10 and similar to 15, similar to 12 and similar to 17, and similar to 5 and similar to 10 nm, respectively.