Synthesis and field emission characterization of titanium nitride nanowires

Single crystalline titanium nitride nanowires have been successfully synthesized through a chloride-assisted carbon thermal reduction method using the active carbon, TiO2 and NaCl powders as precursors and cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The TiN nanowires possess a cubic structure with typical diameter of 20-60 nm and length up to microns. The field emission property of the TiN nanowires has been characterized for the first time, which follows the conventional Fowler-Nordheim behavior and shows the low turn-on field of 7.1 V/mu m(-1) and good emission stability, indicating the potential applications. The formation mechanism of the TiN nanowires has also been discussed.