Issue 55, 2016, Issue in Progress

Morphological changes in carbon nanohorns under stress: a combined Raman spectroscopy and TEM study

Abstract

In this work, we present the first study of highly compressed carbon nanohorns (CNHs). The experiments were performed in a sapphire anvil cell and the morphological changes induced in the CNHs samples were monitored simultaneously by Raman spectroscopy and subsequently by transmission electron microscopy. CNHs samples subjected to a maximum stress of 8 GPa in a single direct compression cycle showed broadened Raman spectra, corresponding to carbonaceous regions with graphite-like structures, surrounded by debundled dahlia-like structures. However, samples subjected to a moderate stress single cycle (2 GPa) exhibited morphological changes from dahlia-like to bud-like structures. Finally, consecutive moderate stress cycles led to the aggregation of such bud spheres towards the formation of a laminar material with horn-like structures at the edges; a very promising configuration for targeted functionalization. This study demonstrates the advantages of using stress for pretreating CNHs samples for subsequent reactivity and functionalization studies.

Graphical abstract: Morphological changes in carbon nanohorns under stress: a combined Raman spectroscopy and TEM study

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Dec 2015
Accepted
12 May 2016
First published
12 May 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 49543-49550

Author version available

Morphological changes in carbon nanohorns under stress: a combined Raman spectroscopy and TEM study

M. Peña-Álvarez, E. D. Corro, F. Langa, V. G. Baonza and M. Taravillo, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 49543 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA27162B

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