Electron Microscopy Investigation of Structural Transformation of Carbon Black under Influence of High-Energy Electron Beam

Abstract

Nanocapsules and stacks of graphene sheets have been prepared from carbon black by irradiation relativistic electron beam. Electrons with energy of 2.5 MeV were used in these experiments to produce carbon nanoparticles with graphite-like structure of the graphene layers. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy were used to obtain the information about morphology, crystallinity, and interlayer distance of these nanostructures.

Carbon black reborn: Structure and chemistry for renewable energy harnessing

“…These results indicate that the effects of electron irradiation will be dissipated at a greater depth from the surface of a target material [35]. Although turbostratic and graphitic carbons are both subjected to similar radiation damage mechanisms leading to rearrangement of sp 2 C lattice, intense local heating may further explain the formation of large CB aggregates [32,33]. As pointed by authors investigating SWNTs, e-beam heating induced carbon sublimation, leading to SWNT thickening and welding [38].…”

“…Size and extension of the stacked graphene shell can be amplified upon bombardment with high energy electrons. Pulsed irradiation leads to the reordering of graphene layers [30,31], whilst continued irradiation with relativistic electrons (11.2 kW of power for 7 min) have been shown to induce the formation of nanocapsules with significant increase in the degree of crystallinity [32]. A comparison of CB before and after irradiation is given in Figure 4.…”

“…carbon [32], and fast heating is believed to be the cause of turbostratic stacked graphene formation upon high energy electrons bombardment. Similar conversions were observed when high energy laser was used, and turbostratic stacks of extended graphene layers formed by treating CB with high energy laser reaching temperatures as high as 4200 ºC ( Figure 5) [33].…”

“…As pointed by authors investigating SWNTs, e-beam heating induced carbon sublimation, leading to SWNT thickening and welding [38]. Reproduced and adapted from reference [32]. Thermal annealing is an excellent method to improve the lattice ordering in CB.…”

sp amorphous carbons in view of multianalytical consideration: Normal, expeсted and new

“…Nevertheless, the conducted investigations allowed establishing two commonalities characteristic of sp 2 carbon: 1. ESR signals as evidence of radical nature of the species were observed in all the cases related to sp 2 nanocarbons, namely: graphite, all graphene-based materials, including various soots, coals and other sp 2 amorphous carbons, as well as fullerenes and carbon nanotubes, shungite carbon and antraxolite (see [80,[86][87][88][89][90]] but a few). 2.…”