Direct growth of carbon nanotubes onto titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were successfully deposited on a TiO2 nanoparticle film via thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using iron(Ill) as the catalyst, which was loaded into the titanium isopropoxide precursor solution. The properties of the TiO2/MWNTs nanocomposite was characterized using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), 4-point probe conductivity measurements and cyclic voltammetry. Preliminary investigations on this TiO2/MWNTs nanocomposite as an anode material for Li-ion batteries shows a high reversible capacity of 268 mAh g(-1) with improved cycling stability compared with a mechanically blended composite.