One-pot synthesis of carbon nanotubes from renewable resource: cellulose acetate
Journal article, 2014

In the present work, we report for the first time one-pot synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by pyrolysis of cellulose acetate (CA) cross-linked with polyisocyanate in the fumed silica template. NiCl2 was chosen as precatalyst for CNT growth. The diameter of CNTs is 24-38 nm and their wall thickness is 9-11 nm. The main role in the formation of CNTs by the pyrolysis of CA may be attributed to combination of closed macropores in the template formed by evolved CO2 during cross-linking reaction and mesopores formed by silica particles. The macropores acted as microreactors while the mesopores templated catalytic nanoparticles. The importance of this method for CNT synthesis reported here consists of the utilization of readily available renewable resource-CA. Moreover the method does not require preliminary synthesis of catalyst, it is technologically simple (can be performed in the conventional tube furnace), and hence it is energetically efficient.

Wall thickness

Catalytic nanoparticle

SILICA

Cellulose acetates

Renewable resource

Crosslinking reaction

Silica particles

One-pot synthesis

Conventional tubes

Author

L. Dubrovina

Vernadsky Institute General and Inorganic Chemistry

Olga Naboka

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

V. Ogenko

Vernadsky Institute General and Inorganic Chemistry

Paul Gatenholm

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymer Technology

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Peter Enoksson

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Journal of Materials Science

0022-2461 (ISSN) 1573-4803 (eISSN)

Vol. 49 3 1144-1149

Subject Categories

Materials Engineering

Areas of Advance

Production

DOI

10.1007/s10853-013-7793-8

More information

Latest update

8/27/2018