Facile Synthesis of Nanostructured Carbon through Self-Assembly between Block Copolymers and Carbohydrates

Nanostructured carbon materials, including carbon nanotubes, membranes, and particles, are an important nanomaterial for many applications in nanoelectronics, sorption and separation, sensors, catalysis, and energy conversion and storage (e.g., double layer capacitors, and hydrogen storage). Varied methods have been developed to synthesize nanostructured carbon materials, such as DC arc-discharge, laser ablation, chemical vapor deposition, templating, etc. However, direct fabrication of complex carbon nanostructures with controlled form (e.g., film, particle, tube, etc.), dimension, and surface architecture remains a significant challenge. Recently we developed a simple and direct synthetic method to prepare nanoporous carbon nanotubes with large pores (> 20 nm) on the tube wall. The method involved coating of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) inner pore channel surface with block copolymer (polystyrene-co-poly(vinylpyridine)) and carbohydrates in DMF solution. Drying of DMF induced micro-phase separation of PS-PVP and formation of ordered PS and PVP/carbohydrate domains. Within the coating, the carbohydrates stay specifically only in the pyridine domains surrounding PS domains due to the interaction between carbohydrates and pyridine blocks. After carbonization at high temperature in argon, PS fragments were removed, forming the nanopores and carbohydrates were carbonized, forming the framework of nanoporous carbon tubes within AAO channels. Removal of AAO leads to the formation of individual monodisperse nanoporous carbon nanotubes with tube wall of ∼ 16 nm. Here, we extend this method by combining self-assembly of polymer and carbohydrates with two fabrication procedures—spin-coating and aerosol processing—to form nanostructured carbon films and particles with controlled 1–3 dimensional features. The formation of these nanostructured carbon materials was driven by the interaction between polystyrene-co-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-P4VP) and environmentally benign carbohydrate precursors during phase separation that occurs in both fabrication processes. Subsequent high