Low-temperature, solvent-free solid-state synthesis of single-crystalline titanium nitride nanorods with different aspect ratios

Titanium nitride nanorods have been successfully synthesized by low temperature solid-state metathesis of titanium (III) chloride and sodium azide without using any organic solvent. The conditions required for the synthesis of these nanorods have been optimized. It was found that the temperature and time of reaction had a significant effect on the product morphology. Thermal treatment at 360 °C, for 3 days gave the nanorods of the aspect ratio ∼10 (i.e. diameter ∼50 nm and length ∼ 500 nm), whereas the thermal treatment at 400 °C for 3 days gave the nanorods of the aspect ratio ∼50 (i.e. diameter ∼50 nm and length ∼2–3 μm). Scanning and transmission electron microscopies clearly showed the rod-type morphology. Further evidence for the phase purity and crystallinity of titanium nitride nanorods was given by X-ray diffraction, field emission high-resolution electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses.