External Water-Free Approach toward TiO2 Nanoparticles Embedded in Biomass-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon

Biomass-derived nitrogen-doped carbon (BDNDC) is attracting increasing attention as a sustainable approach for potential application in energy conversion and storage. The use of BDNDC as a matrix to embed metal oxide nanoparticles has seldom been reported, even though such composites may possess the merits of both components to suit a broad range of applications. Inspired by the recipes used to bake cakes, we demonstrate here an external water-free synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles embedded in a BDNDC matrix, in which a foam of chicken egg white and Ti(SO4)(2) is obtained simply by beating with a domestic electric whisk and subsequently annealed under a reducing atmosphere at different temperatures. Anatase-BDNDC, anatase/rutile-BDNDC and TiO2(B)/rutile-BDNDC samples are obtained at 550, 720, and 880 degrees C, respectively. Moreover, the obtained TiO2-BDNDC composites can be used as anode material for lithium-ion batteries and also exhibit high performance. This study lays the groundwork for the benign synthesis of other metal oxide-BDNDC or metal-BDNDC composites that show promise for use in alternative clean energy technologies and environmental science.