A one-step process for the synthesis of hydrophilic carbon nanofibers (CNFs) through CO2 hydrogenation on Ni Na/Al2O3 was developed for the loading and targeted delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). CNFs that were synthesized on Ni Na/Al2O3 for 9 h at 500 degrees C exhibited an adequate magnetic response and a large content of hydrophilic oxygen-containing functional groups on the carbon surface, resulting in excellent colloidal solution. The CNF material exhibited a highly efficient capacity for DOX adsorption, particularly at pH 9.0. The loading and release of DOX was strongly pH dependent, possibly due to electrostatic and pi-pi stacking interactions between DOX and CNF sample. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo second-order kinetics of DOX-loaded CNFs were well-modeled for the process of DOX adsorption. DOX-loaded CNF targeted cancer cells more selectively and effectively than free DOX and exhibited a marked tendency to kill HeLa canter cells and reduced toxicity to normal human primary fibroblast (HPF) cells. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.