Nanofibrous rutile-titania/graphite composite derived from natural cellulose substance

Calcination and carbonization of ultrathin titania gel film pre-coated cellulose nanofibers of ordinary laboratory filter paper at 1300 degrees C under argon atmosphere yielded a hierarchical nanofibrous rutile-titania/carbon composite material. The carbon fibers derived from the initial cellulose nanofibers possess a core-shell structure with amorphous carbon at the inner part and graphite state carbon at the outer part. The initial titania gel films were converted into rutile phase titania nanoparticles with sizes of 20-50 nm anchored on the surface of the carbon fibers. The resulting composite possesses considerable electric conductivity as well as decolorization activity towards dye-bearing wastewater.