Fullerene-like nanoparticles of titanium disulfide

TiS2 nanoparticles with nested fullerene-like structure (IF) 60-120 nm in size consisting of up to 100 concentric molecular layers and having quite a perfectly spherical shape were obtained by reacting TiCl4 and H2S using first a horizontal and subsequently a vertical reactor. The proposed growth mechanism of these nanoparticles, i.e. nucleation and growth, is radically different from the one proposed for the growth of the fullerene-like WS2 from the respective oxide nanoparticles. It was found that adding 1-2% IF-TiS2 improves the behavior of lubricating oil substantially. The improved performance of the additive was attributed to the nearly spherical shape of the nanoparticles which promotes rolling friction.