The Controlled Synthesis of Carbon Tubes and Rods by Template-Assisted Twin Polymerization

Falko Böttger-Hiller,Thomas Thurn-Albrecht,Albrecht Petzold,Gisela Baumann,Michael Hietschold,Dietrich R T Zahn,Philipp Schäfer,Stefan Spange,Patrick Kempe

doi:10.1155/2013/872019

Abstract

The application of porous carbon is versatile. It is used for high-performance catalyst support, electrode material in batteries, and gas storage. In each of these application fields nanostructuring improves the material properties. Supercapacitors store a high energy density. Exactly adapted carbon structures increase the life of lithium batteries and protect catalysts with increasing reaction rate and selectivity. Most of porous carbon materials have a spherical shape. To the best of our knowledge, there is no procedure to synthesize nanostructured cylindrical porous carbon systematically. Here, template glass fibres and SiO2-tubes were modified with nanostructured SiO2/phenolic resin and SiO2/poly(furfuryl alcohol) layers by surface twin polymerization (TP) of 2,2′-spirobi[4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline] and tetrafurfuryloxysilane. Afterwards the SiO2/polymer layer on the template is thermally transformed into a defect-free nanostructured SiO2/carbon layer. After completely removing the SiO2components microporous carbon tubes or rods are finally achieved. The diameters of the carbon rods and the inner as well as the outer diameter of the carbon tubes are adjustable according to the shape and size of the template. Thus, a huge variety of microporous carbon materials can be easily produced by template-assisted TP.

Highlights

Application of porous hollow carbon material is versatile [1,2,3]; it is used for high-performance catalyst support [4,5,6], electrode material in batteries [7, 8], gas storage [9], and filters [10]
A huge variety of microporous carbon materials can be produced by template-assisted twin polymerization (TP)
In this report we present a novel route to fabricate cylindrical porous carbon compounds based on TP in combination with hard templates

Summary

Introduction

Application of porous hollow carbon material is versatile [1,2,3]; it is used for high-performance catalyst support [4,5,6], electrode material in batteries [7, 8], gas storage [9], and filters [10]. TP requires the use of so-called twin monomer, an adequate inorganic/organic hybrid monomer— which undergoes polymerization to two different polymers in one process. The silicon containing twin monomers, 2,2󸀠-spirobi[4H-1,3,2benzodioxasiline] (1) and tetrafurfuryloxysilane (2), yielded in nanostructured SiO2/polymer hybrid materials Starting from this material it is possible to obtain porous carbon by carbonizing the organic phase and removing the SiO2 phase by treatment with hydrofluoric acid (Figure 1). In this report we present a novel route to fabricate cylindrical porous carbon compounds based on TP in combination with hard templates Both twin monomers result in porous carbon after polymerization, carbonization, and treatment with aqueous hydrofluoric acid [16, 22]. A tubular template will lead to a porous carbon tube (outer layer) and a porous carbon rod (inner layer) (Figure 1(d))

Preparation

Results

Summary