Fabrication and Characterization of Ti and TiO2 Nanoparticles by Pulsed Wire Evaporation and Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Ti and TiO2 nano-sized particles were fabricated by pulsed wire evaporation (PWE) and characterized. The differences in the size and shape distribution according to the charging voltage, V0 (2.8 to 6.5 kV), were investigated. From the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, a new phase of face-centered cubic Ti nanoparticles was observed. Electron-energy loss spectroscopy coupled with high-resolution TEM revealed three phases in TiO2 nanoparticles: anatase, rutile, and brookite. PWE methods and these observations highlight the potential of developing novel nanoparticles with unprecedented structures and/or properties.