Ionic Liquid Monomers and Polymers as Precursors of Highly Conductive, Mesoporous, Graphitic Carbon Nanostructures

In this contribution a template-free preparation of mesoporous graphitic carbon nanostructures with high electric conductivity is presented, using ionic liquid monomers or poly(ionic liquid) polymers as carbon precursors. The carbonization was performed in the presence of FeCl(2) at temperatures between 900 and 1000 degrees C. It was found that FeCl(2) plays a key role in controlling both the chemical structure and the texture morphology of the graphitization process. A detailed investigation on the carbonization process demonstrated that 900 C is a threshold temperature where a synergistic formation process enables the development of the superior physical properties, such as large surface area and low resistance. The as-synthesized carbon products are graphitic, mesoporous, and highly conductive, as proven by XRD and TEM characterizations and conductivity measurements. Via an acid etching process, iron and iron carbide nanoparticles, the remainder of the primary catalyst, can be removed, leaving pure mesoporous carbon nanomaterials with a comparably well developed graphitic structure. Without demand for any template, this method is facile and easy to scale up and might contribute to the wide range of applications of carbon nanostructures.