Fe2O3-TiO2 nanocomposites on activated carbon fibers by a plasma-assisted approach

•PE-CVD of α-Fe2O3 lamellar-like nanostructures on activated carbon fibers•Tailored dispersion of TiO2 nanoaggregates over Fe2O3 nanostructures by RF-sputtering•Detailed chemico-physical characterization of Fe2O3TiO2 nanocomposites

Fe2O3-TiO2 nanocomposites on activated carbon fibers (ACFs) have been fabricated by a two-step plasma-assisted route, involving the plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) of iron oxide followed by radio frequency (RF) titanium sputtering for different process durations. A multi-technique characterization of the developed systems has been performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). The adopted approach enabled the successful preparation of high purity composite nanomaterials, with high surface area and characterized by the co-presence of Fe2O3 and TiO2 in tailored amounts. The homogeneous coverage of ACFs by Fe2O3-TiO2, along with the optimal deposit adhesion to the support, candidate the present Fe2O3-TiO2@ACF nanocomposites as attractive systems for photocatalytic applications.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (344KB)Download full-size image