Synthesis of metal carbides using biological templates

Nanocrystalline metal carbides (MC: M=Si, Ti) have been prepared using cellulose network mineralized with silica and titania by carbothermal reduction at high temperature in Ar. Hierarchical biological structures indigenous to the cellulose precursor were completely replicated after the reaction. Cubic phase MC composites show relative low oxygen content 0.24 wt% and a high lattice parameter of 4.327A in TiC. The particle sizes of the MC composites are 200-700nm for SiC and 10-50nm for TiC, and high BET surface area, up to 150m 2 /g.