Synthesis of carbon microrings using polymer blends as templates

Abstract

Carbon microrings were produced using a template based on phase separation of amylose/pentadecyl phenol (PDP)/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) mixtures. The two-step phase separation of the mixture showed a micron-sized porous structure in which the rim of the pores was enclosed by rings of PDP. PDP was converted into a carbon precursor resin via reaction with formaldehyde vapor followed by pyrolysis under nitrogen atmosphere, leading to a carbon microstructure with ring morphology. The products before and after pyrolysis were characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). AFM and SEM confirmed the ring morphology of the samples obtained after pyrolysis. The presence and phase of carbon were confirmed by EDX and XRD, respectively. This study demonstrates a straightforward novel route to prepare carbon microrings from a phenolic precursor using amylose as a matrix material.