Low‐Temperature Synthesis of Crystalline Inorganic/Metallic Nanocrystal‐Halloysite Composite Nanotubes

We have demonstrated a facile approach for the low‐temperature synthesis of crystalline inorganic/metallic nanocrystal‐halloysite composite nanotubes by employing the bulk controlled synthesis of inorganic/metallic nanocrystals on halloysite nanotubes. The halloysite clay nanotubes can adsorb the target precursor and induce inorganic/metallic nanocrystals to grow in situ . The crystalline phase and morphology of the composite clay nanotubes is tunable. By simply tuning the acidity of the titania sol, the crystalline titania‐clay nanotubes with tunable crystalline phases of anatase, a mixture of anatase and rutile or rutile are achieved. The approach is general and has been extended to synthesize the representative perovskite oxide (barium and strontium titanate)‐halloysite composite nanotubes. Metallic nickel nanocrystal can also be grown on the surface of halloysite nanotubes at low temperature. The traditional thermal treatment for crystallite transformation is not required, thus intact contour of halloysite nanotubes and the crystallinity structure of halloysite nanotubes can be guaranteed. The combined properties from inorganic/metallic nanocrystal (high refractive index, high dielectric constant and catalytic ability) and the halloysite clay nanotubes are promising for applications such as photonic crystals, high‐ k ‐gate dielectrics, photocatalysis and purification.