Plasma-chemical synthesis of carbon nanotubes and graphene with mesoporous architecture for energy applications

Abstract

We develop the universal technique of producing the mesoporous carbon nanomaterials. We manage to synthesize, in one and the same reactor, in the different regimes, carbon nanotubes and graphene. The technique consists in conversion of the carbon containing substances in the helium plasma flow generated by the plasma torch at low pressure. We investigate the samples using the scanning electron microscope and the synchronous thermal analysis. The studies, by the limited evaporation method, of the porous structure show that the graphene flakes and the balled nanotubes are mesoporous and thus provide the specific capacity value rather high for the electrochemical electrodes of the supercapacitor (125–133 F/g) at the charging/discharging resistance of 121/100 Ω.