Synthesis and characterization of titanium silicate-1 supported on carbon nanofiber

A novel composite material, i.e, titanium silicate-1 (TS-1) supported on carbon nanofiber (CNF), TS-1/CNF, is synthesized through in situ crystallization and XRD, FTIR, SEM and HRTEM/EDS analyses are conducted to characterize its structure and morphology. In the initial stage of crystallization, amorphous SiO2–TiO2 particles of about 50 nm are formed on the surface of CNF filaments, which grow rapidly into intact MFI structure by structural rearrangement in the later stage of crystallization. After crystallization for more than 24 h, TS-1 crystallites with particle sizes around 150 nm are formed. Strong interactions seem to exist at the contacted interface between the TS-1 and the CNF, which prevent the supported TS-1 from detaching off the CNF under vigorous stirring.