A facile one-step route to nanocrystalline TiB2 powders

Nanocrystalline titanium diboride (TiB{sub 2}) has been prepared by the reaction of TiCl{sub 4} with NaBH{sub 4} in the temperature range of 500-700 deg. C in an autoclave. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns can be indexed as hexagonal TiB{sub 2} with the lattice constants of a=3.032 and c=3.229 A. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image shows particle morphology, with average size of 15 nm for the powder obtained at 600 deg. C. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern confirms the prepared hexagonal TiB{sub 2}. The oxidation behavior of TiB{sub 2} is studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA)