Synthesis of titanium carbide–carbon nanofibers via carbothermal reduction of titania with carbon

Submicron scale titanium carbide–carbon (TiC–C) hybrid nanofibers have been synthesized from electrospinning of titania (TiO2) nanoparticle and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in dimethyl formaldehyde (DMF) solution, followed by carbothermal reduction of TiO2 with carbon at high temperature. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of TiC–C nanofibers show the conservation of fiber morphology after the carbothermal reduction reaction. XRD study demonstrates that the thermal treatment of TiO2–carbon fibers results in the formation of titanium oxycarbide (TiCxOy) crystals and the reduction in the titania phase, and the oxygen content in TiCxOy and the fraction of titania phase decreases with increasing reaction temperature. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images show the loss of the titania phase after the carbothermal reduction. The surface area of TiC–C nanofibers drastically decreases at high reaction temperatures. Finally, it is observed that the electrical conductivity of TiC–C nanofiber mats is higher than that of neat carbon nanofiber mats, and it increases with raising carbothermal reduction temperature.