Synthesis of hierarchical titanium carbide from titania-coated cellulose paper

Cellulose paper and an aqueous-based, inexpensive TiO2 precursor, Tyzor-LA, have been used to prepare TiC via carbothermal reduction in an Ar flow. The hierarchical cellulose structures were completely maintained upon the agglomeration of 10-50 nm TiC nanoparticles. The lattice parameter of TiC increased with increasing reaction temperature, while the oxygen content in the sample decreased and showed minimal oxygen impurity at 1500 degreesC (0.24 wt.-%).