Self-propagating high-temperature fast reduction of magnesium oxalate to novel nanocarbons

Combustion synthesis is known as a cost-effective technique to produce many novel ceramic nanomaterials such as nitrides, carbides, and intermetallic compounds. Herein, we report an extremely fast chemical transformation of magnesium-magnesium oxalate (Mg/MgC2O4) mixtures into solid products containing different nanocarbons and MgO. Despite a wide range of molar ratios of reactants all combustions, carried out in Ar at 1MPa, were successful. The solid products were chemically purified (leaching of unreacted Mg and MgO) and characterized by XRD, SEM/EDX, TEM, DSC, and Raman spectroscopy. The residue contained mostly layered (circa several nm thick) carbon petal-like nanostructures and carbon-coated MgO.