Abstract:

Titanium nitride nanowires (TiN NWs) were directly prepared on a Ti foil by a hydrothermal method followed by nitridation in ammonia atmosphere. The composition, microstructure, and electrochemical properties of the TiN NWs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry(CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the nanowires have diameters of 20-50 nm and are 5 μm long. The surfaces of the TiN NWs comprise Ti-N, Ti-O, and O-Ti-N chemical states. The electrochemical activity and reversibility for the electrode processes of Ⅴ(Ⅱ)/Ⅴ(Ⅲ) couple on the TiN NWs are significantly improved due to the introduced Ti-N, Ti-O, and O-Ti-N chemical states. The transfer resistance for the cathodic reduction of Ⅴ(Ⅲ) on the TiN NWs is about 20 times and 10 times smaller than on TiO₂ NWs and graphite electrodes, respectively. The rate constant of charge transfer on the TiN NWs electrode was determined to be 5.21×10^-4 cm·s_-1, which is about 5 times larger than the rate constant on graphite electrodes (9.63×10^-5 cm·s^-1).

Key words: Vanadium battery, Titanium nitride nanowire, Ⅴ(Ⅱ)/Ⅴ(Ⅲ), Electrode process