Carbon nanostructures produced by chlorinating aluminium carbide

A number of carbon samples with different nanostructures such as: amorphous, nanoparticles and turbostratic, were synthesised through the reaction between aluminium carbide and gaseous chlorine at fixed temperatures between 300 and 900°C. The synthesised carbon samples were characterised using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction techniques, as well as low temperature nitrogen sorption measurements. The carbon produced at T=300°C was amorphous with a surface area of ∼1400 m2 g−1. At 700°C, a large amount of carbon nanoparticles and with a lower surface area ∼710 m2 g−1 was obtained. At 900°C, mainly a turbostratic carbon with a surface area of ∼680 m2 g−1 was produced.