Hierarchically assembled titania-cyclodextrin nano-networks

Hierarchically structured TiO2 beta-cyclodextrin nano-networks are created by a simple, eco-friendly self-assembly process. Electron microscopy shows the resulting nano-networks are composed of TiO2 nanoparticle beta-cyclodextrin complexes assembled into 1 mu m diameter nanofibers with lengths more than 1 mm. The individual nanofibers are further interconnected into a highly porous, 3D macro-scale network. This assembly process is notable because it creates large 3D networks directly from nanoparticle self-assembly and offers the opportunity to separately optimize both nanoparticle properties and the structure of the resulting composite materials. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.