Carbide nanoparticles encapsulated in the caves of carbon nanotubes by an in situ reduction-carbonization route

Abstract

Carbides (TiC, WC, and NbC) nanoparticles fully encapsulated in the caves of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized via an in situ reduction- carbonization route at 600°C in an autoclave. The structural features and morphologies of as-obtained products were investigated using by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). HRTEM studies showed that the average diameter of CNTs encapsulated with carbide nanoparticles are in the range of 15-40nm. The reaction temperature, the reaction time, and the metal catalyst are found to play crucial roles to the product morphology. The growth mechanism of carbide nanoparticles encapsulated in CNTs was discussed in detail. Copyright © 2011 Chunli Guo et al.