A method for coating carbon nanotubes with titanium

The surfaces of acid-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated by TiO2 produced by the hydrolysis of TiCl4, which was converted into Ti through temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) equipment. SEM, TEM, XRD, and EDAX analyses were used to characterize the primary CNTs, as-prepared TiO2–coated CNTs and the Ti-coated CNTs. It was found that after the functionalization of CNTs by ultrasonic-assisted acid treatment, TiO2 was successfully coated onto the CNTs, which was reduced in TPR under H2/Ar flow at 850 °C to metal Ti. The Ti transition layer is important for the formation of composites of CNTs with other metals.