(680d) Templated Carbon Nanostructures Synthesis Catalyzed By Group 2 and Lanthanide Oxides

We developed a novel low-cost method for the generation of graphitic carbon with high surface area (> 1000 m²/g) and high electrical conductivity (3×10⁵ S/m). Common minerals or rare earth ions are employed as catalysts, and when combined with water and acetylene large quantities of graphene-like carbon are formed. The carbons have different morphologies depending on the morphology of the catalyst, including crumpled carbon, nanotubes, wrinkled spheres and hollow spheres. The carbons were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry / thermogravimetric analysis, multipoint Brauner-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, quench solid state density functional theory pore size analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Applications as electrodes for energy storage and for selective adsorption of rare earth ions will be discussed.