Facile fabrication of hollow carbon nanomaterials by directed polymerization of butadiyne on the surface of reverse micelles

Abstract

Uniform hollow carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) of different shapes were prepared by a reverse microemulsion polymerization method. The main advantage of this method is the ability to control the precise shape of the nanoparticles. The CNPs were prepared by the room temperature polymerization of a butadiyne monomer on self-assembled surfactant templates formed in the ternary system containing sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT), water, and hexane. The size and shape (spherical, cylindrical and lamellar phase) of the aggregated surfactant template depend on the composition of the ternary system, which varies primarily through the water content parameter. After template removal by simple washing, the CNPs were studied by morphological analysis (transmission electron microscopy) and chemical characterization with a variety of methods, including energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Depending on the template shape, CNPs were obtained in the form of hollow spheres, hollow rods or lamellar sheets. Results from various characterization techniques indicate that the obtained nanomaterials are primarily composed of sp2 hybridized carbon.