Synthesis and electrochemical activities of TiC/C core-shell nanocrystals

The well-defined core/shell-type titanium carbide/carbon nanocrystals have been synthesized by DC arc-discharge plasma in diverse atmospheres (H2, Ar, He). It is confirmed that the TiC/C nanocrystals are diversiform in crystallographic morphologies with the exposed facets, e.g. rhombic, cubic, truncated-cubic and truncated-octahedral. The energetic ions of H+ and Ar+ within the arc-flame greatly influence the growth of truncated-octahedral TiC seeds and result in the final morphologies. Electrocatalytic behaviors of four kinds of TiC/C nanocrystals were preliminarily investigated by using 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) as a pollutant target. It is indicated that the removal efficiency of 2,4-DCP can reach to 73% at an appropriate bias potential in 180 min. With the increase of the area of (111) facets on a TiC/C nanocrystal, the bias potential becomes smaller and the removal efficiency gets higher. Such TiC/C nanocrystals can be excellent as the electrochemical electrode to degrade the refractory organic pollutants.