Porous graphitic carbon spheres (GCSs) have been extensively studied for various applications such as adsorption, catalysis, energy storage and drug delivery due to their unique properties such as high surface area, tunable porosity, and most importantly, low synthesis cost. Among many strategies available for the synthesis of graphitic carbons, catalytic graphitization has been widely explored due to its industrial feasibility. Furthermore, incorporation of metal nanoparticles such as Fe2O3 facilitates pseudo-capacitance in electrochemical charge storage reactions. In addition, the presence of mesoporosity in graphitic carbons facilitates mass transportation and rapid equilibration of electrolyte ions with graphene layers. Regardless of various advantages of Fe2O3 embedded mesoporous graphitic carbon spheres, one-pot synthesis of such particles at a low temperature still prevails as a challenge. This study was focused on combining catalytic graphitization properties of Prussian blue nanoparticles and the ability of Pluronic F127 polymer to generate mesoporosity in carbons to produce high surface area mesoporous graphitic carbon spheres in a single temperature treatment step. Graphitic carbon spheres were produced by incorporating cubic Prussian blue nanocubes in resol polymer spheres, while mesoporous graphitic carbon spheres were synthesized by trapping both Prussian blue nanoparticles and F127 polymer micelles in aforementioned polymer spheres. Upon carbonization, graphitization was found to initiate at a temperature as low as 600 C, which was beneficial as compared to conventional graphitization of carbons at 1000 °C and above. On the other hand, use of polymeric templates such as Pluronic F127 for mesopore generation within carbons is beneficial over use of silica, since later technique requires post synthesis removal of silica using HF or NaOH. Carbons with high surface area up to 490 m2 g-1 and multiple surface properties were characterized in detail using high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption and thermogravimetry.

One-pot synthesis and production of iron oxide nanoparticles embedded mesoporous graphitic carbon spheres in a single low-temperature carbonization strategy

2019 Spring National Meeting

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