Spongy carbon nanobeads - A new material

Spherical carbon nanobeads (solid and hollow) of two sizes of around 500-850 nm (large) and 250 nm (small) were synthesized by pyrolysing camphor vapour at 1000 degrees C in an argon atmosphere, using ferrocene, as catalyst, for the first time. The EEL spectrum suggests the carbon beads to be nongraphitic and these are covered by a graphitic shell of 80-100 nm, revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs. The larger beads, more than 10 are interconnected by the outer shell. After covering the train of carbon, the beads take the shape of fibrous graphitic carbon which perhaps gives the spongy elastic character to the material. The average surface area of the nanobeads determined by BET studies is calculated to be 16 m(2) g(-1). It is suggested that this material may be a useful anode for secondary lithium ion batteries. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.