Purification of carbon nano-onions

• Main Author: Anand, Balaji
• Other Authors: Chan Siew Hwa
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Chemistry; Engineering; Physics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177881
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Since the discovery of carbon nano onions (CNOs) by Ugarte, which are quasi-spherical carbon nanoparticles consisting of concentric graphene graphitic shell, many attempts have been made to fabricate these onions-like structure. In this study, CNOs were obtained by thermo-catalytic decomposition of methane using Ni based catalyst. However, the presence of impurities (Ni) inside of the CNOs structures hinder their practical use, especially in supercapacitors and Li-ion battery. The purification of CNOs is becoming a vital step in unlocking the full potential of these unique nanomaterials for diverse applications. This project aims to optimise a purification process to remove the catalytic impurities and characterize the purified CNOs. The successful purification of CNOs promises vast advancements in nanotechnology, biomedical applications, energy storage, and catalysis. The successful completion of this project will not only contribute to fundamental research but also foster innovations with far-reaching implications across various industries. This report will take a look into the characterisation of purified CNO particles.