Hierarchical, nanoporous graphenic carbon materials through an instant, self-sustaining magnesiothermic reduction

摘要

Carbon material characterized by enhanced hierarchical nanoporosity, good electric conductivity and high thermal stability is prepared instantly from ubiquitous chemical reagents utilizing the advantages of metallothermic reduction. A mixture of magnesium and oxalic acid powders reacts vigorously upon ignition in a self-sustaining regime giving rise to MgO and carbon as the main solid-state products. The structure and morphology of the resultant carbon can be tailored by the pressure under which the combustion proceeds. If the combustion of the Mg/oxalic acid mixture is ignited under vacuum and the pressure does not grow much during the reaction, the produced carbon condenses to spherical shells (hollow carbon nanospheres) that are uniform in size, graphenic in nature, with hierarchical nanoporosity and a specific surface area of up to 1000 m(2)/g. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.