Single wall carbon nanohorns coated with anatase titanium oxide

Single wall carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) were coated with anatase titanium oxide thin films by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition with titanium tetraisopropoxide Ti(OiPr)4 as the precursor. The pristine SWCNHs and the new hybrid material SWCNHs/TiO2 were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric thermal analysis and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, showing that the deposition process does not alter the typical structures of the SWCNHs. Finally, it is shown how the hydrophilic properties of the titanium oxide coating allowed a stable dispersion of SWCNHs/TiO2 in water, opening new perspectives for water based nanofluids, biological sensing or drug delivery systems. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.