Researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication of the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), CAS, have successfully prepared titanium nitride (TiN) nanorod and nanofibers using a facile combination of electrospinning followed by thermolysis under different atmospheres. They have also investigated the electrochemical behaviors of the carbon materials, including graphene, canbon nanotubes and nanofibers. These materials have showed good electrochemical properties and displayed potential applications in supercapacitors.

As a typical transition metal nitride, TiN is an important material for many applications due to its superior properties. It can be applied as hard coatings, barrier materials in the integrated circuits and heat-conducting films and so on. Because of its high electrical conductivity and excellent corrosion resistance, TiN has been considered as an excellent candidate for electrode materials in electrochemical capacitors which use highly corrosive electrolytes such as potassium hydroxide, and for electronic conductors in electronic devices.

The work has received support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Hundred Talents Program of the CAS. The findings have been published in Journal of Solid State Chemistry (Journal of Solid State Chemistry 184(2011)1333) and CrystEngComm (CrystEngComm 13(2011)3905).

Influence of the morphology of TiN and nitridation temperature on the electrochemical properties of TiN (Image by YAN Xingbin et al.)

Synthesis of TiN Nannofiber (Image by YAN Xingbin et al.)

Journal of Solid State Chemistry 184(2011)1333 Paper

CrystEngComm 13(2011)3905 Paper

Nanoscale 3(2011)212 Paper

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2(9)(2010)2521-2529 Paper

Journal of Power Sources  Paper