Bonding changes in single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) on Ti and TiH2 addition probed by X-ray Raman scattering

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were ball milled with Ti and TiH 2 . Samples collected at different milling times were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Raman spectroscopy (XRS). While the intensity of the π ⁎ excitonic transition of the Ti+SWCNT samples remains unchanged with milling time, a doublet feature observed around 285.4 eV in the X-ray Raman spectra of the 5 h milled sample shows increasing hybridization of the Ti states with the nanotubes above the Fermi level. On the other hand, in addition to a double peak nature, the XRS spectra of TiH 2 +SWCNT samples show a decrease in the π ⁎ intensity which provides clear evidence for increasing sp 3 hybridization with milling time.