Molten Salt-Assisted Synthesis of Titanium Nitride

Titanium nitride is an exciting plasmonic material, with optical properties similar to gold. However, synthesizing TiN nanocrystals is highly challenging and typically requires solid-state reactions at very high temperatures (800-1000°C). Here, the synthesis of TiN nanocrystals is achieved at temperatures as low as 350°C, in just 1 h. The strategy comprises molten salt, Mg as reductant and Ca₃N₂ as nitride source. This brings TiN from the realm of solid-state chemistry into the field of solution-based synthesis in regular, borosilicate glassware.