Functionalized Hollow Carbon Spheres Based On Poly(ionic liquid)s

JUAN BALACH; SEBASTIAN SOLL; MARKUS ANTONIETTI; JIAYIN YUAN

Workshop; Precision Polymer Materials (P2M); 2012

Dispersible, highly graphitic, and nitrogen-doped carbon hollow nanospheres (25-90 nm), termed 'nanobubbles', are prepared via confined carbonization through a silica nanocasting technique. Poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles are employed as easy-to-make and multifunctional templates, which simultaneously act as both the carbon and nitrogen source. The promising potential of the nanobubbles in oxygen reduction reactions for fuel cells is demonstrated.