Direct Synthesis of TiN/Mesoporous Carbon Nanocomposite by Nitridation of a Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Mesostructured Material

A titanium nitride (TiN)/mesoporous carbon nanocomposite with a high surface area (320 m2/g) has been successfully synthesized by a direct route based on a concomitant polymerization of organic and inorganic species (phenolformaldehyde resin and TiO2-based oligomers, respectively). These polymers self-assemble in the presence of a pore-structuring agent, an amphiphilic copolymer ((poly(ethylene oxide))106(poly(propylene oxide))70(poly(ethylene oxide))106) during the solvent evaporation step and yield to an ordered mesostructured hybrid organic/inorganic materials. Its heat treatment in ammonia led to the carbonization of the organic part and to the nitridation of the TiO2-based part. A TiN/mesoporous C nanocomposite constituted of TiN (61 wt%) nanocrystallites (from 10 to 50 nm in diameter) embedded into a mesoporous carbon matrix was obtained.