Synthesis of titanium boride (TiB) 2 nanocrystallites by solution-phase processing

Nanocrystalline TiB 2 is prepared by reaction of NaBH 4 and TiCl 4 . The initial solution-phase reaction affords an amorphous precursor powder from which 5-100 nm TiB 2 crystallites are obtained upon annealing at 900-1100 °C. Crystallite sizes depend on the annealing temperature and other processing parameters. Crystallite morphology is size dependent; crystallites smaller than 12-15 nm are cuboidal, whereas crystallites larger than 12-15 nm are hexagonal platelets. The procedure affords gram quantities of the smallest available TiB 2 nanocrystallites.