A facile method for fabricating TiO2@mesoporous carbon and three-layered nanocomposites

Herein, we report a new and facile method for fabricating TiO2@mesoporous carbon hybrid materials. Uniform polydopamine (PDA) layers were coated onto the surface of titanate nanotubes (TNTs) and TiO2 nanorods (TNDs) through the spontaneous adhesion and self-polymerization of dopamine during the dipping process. Core-shell mesoporous carbon nanotubes with TiO2 nanorods or nanoparticles encapsulated inside (TiO2@MC) were then obtained by transforming PDA layers into carbonaceous ones through calcination in nitrogen at 800 degrees C. The thickness of the mesoporous carbon layers is tens of nanometers and can be controlled by adjusting the coated PDA layers through the self-polymerization reaction time. In addition, three-layered nanocomposites of TiO2@MC@MO (MO, metal oxide) can be readily prepared by utilizing PDA layers in TNTs@PDA or TNDs@PDA to adsorb the metal ions, followed by the calcination process.