One-pot synthesis of carbon nanotubes from renewable resource: cellulose acetate

In the present work, we report for the first time one-pot synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by pyrolysis of cellulose acetate (CA) cross-linked with polyisocyanate in the fumed silica template. NiCl2 was chosen as precatalyst for CNT growth. The diameter of CNTs is 24-38 nm and their wall thickness is 9-11 nm. The main role in the formation of CNTs by the pyrolysis of CA may be attributed to combination of closed macropores in the template formed by evolved CO2 during cross-linking reaction and mesopores formed by silica particles. The macropores acted as microreactors while the mesopores templated catalytic nanoparticles. The importance of this method for CNT synthesis reported here consists of the utilization of readily available renewable resource-CA. Moreover the method does not require preliminary synthesis of catalyst, it is technologically simple (can be performed in the conventional tube furnace), and hence it is energetically efficient.