Oxygen to carbon atoms ratio effect on the size, morphology and purity of functionalized carbon nanoshells by using alcohol mixtures as carbon source

The effect of the ratio of oxygen to carbon atoms (O/C) on the morphology of carbon nanostructures has been studied by varying the methanol and ethanol ratio in the reaction mixtures. Notable morphological differences in the synthesized carbon nanostructures are observed as a function of the O/C ratio. At a high O/C ratio, i.e., using methanol (O/C = 1), the synthesized carbon nanoshells (CNS) are faceted. Moreover, other faceted nanostructures, such as triangular and hexagonal, are observed in this strong oxidative environment. Decreasing the O/C ratio in the mixture by adding ethanol induces changes in the CNSs morphology; they are less faceted and favor only the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes mixed with the CNSs. The importance of the O/C ratio is corroborated by replacing ethanol (O/C = 0.5) with polyethylene glycol (O/C = 0.5) in the methanol:ethanol reaction mixture. Finally, at very low O/C ratios, i.e., methanol:octanol mixtures, CNS are obtained and no faceted nanostructures or SWCNT are found. Thus, adjusting the O/C ratio is a method for obtaining high purity samples of CNS. Moreover, the use of the alcohols during the synthetic process is a simple and green method of functionalizing CNS.