A reduction–boronation route to nanocrystalline titanium diboride

Nanocrystalline titanium diboride (TiB2) has been prepared through a reduction–boronation route by using Ti powders and BBr3 as titanium and boron sources, and metallic sodium as reductant at 400 °C. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) pattern can be indexed as hexagonal TiB2 with the lattice constants of a=3.028 and c=3.223 Å. Transmission electron microscopy images show particle morphology with average size of 15 nm. Selected area electron diffraction patterns confirm the preparation of the hexagonal TiB2.