We present the simple, single-step reaction of benzene and boron tribromide in a closed reactor at elevated temperature (typically 800 °C) to achieve the direct synthesis of bulk samples of high boron-content graphitic carbon. By this route, widely tunable compositions of BCx are accessible (x ≥ 3), yielding products of higher structural and chemical homogeneity than achievable by any other known route. In the optimized case presented, the underlying structure is that of turbostratic carbon (disordered graphite) with substitutionally-doped boron; under extended heat treatment or higher temperatures, phase separation into the thermodynamically stable phases (boron carbide and graphite) occurs. We demonstrate that higher substitutional boron content in graphitic carbon is correlated with an increased maximum capacity for alkali metal ions, making the cost-effective and flexible synthetic strategy reported herein very promising for developing next-generation anode materials for batteries and capacitive energy storage devices.

Direct bulk synthesis of high boron-content graphitic carbon

254th National Meeting (2017)

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