Nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon nanosheets from commercial glue: morphology, phase evolution and Li-ion battery performance

摘要

We report a two-step process to synthesize nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon nanosheets (N-CNS), using commercially available ethyl cyanoacrylate based super glue as a carbon precursor. In this process, super glue is polymerized in aqueous NaCl solution, followed by carbonization at 1000 degrees C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies show that the resultant material consists of micron-sized carbon nanosheets with a wrinkled morphology. HRTEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), XPS and Raman spectroscopic studies confirm the formation of nanocrystalline and graphitic, nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets. A detailed FTIR analysis of the degradation products of the polymeric precursor (polyethyl cyanoacrylate) at various heat treatment temperatures under an inert atmosphere reveals that the polymer undergoes a cyclization process similar to polyacrylonitrile (PAN) during carbonization to yield the N-CNS. The N-CNS used as an anode for a lithium-ion battery shows stable reversible capacities of 480 mA h g(-1) for 100 cycles, which indicates that N-CNS are promising materials for lithium-ion battery applications. In a broader perspective, a unique chemical transformation of polyethyl cyanoacrylate to graphitic carbon may be useful to design new nanostructured carbons for a plethora of applications.