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Finger-like carbon-based nanostructures produced by combustion of flour-based sticks (spaghetti)

Ossler, Frederik LU and Hetherington, Crispin J. D. LU orcid (2019) In C: Journal of Carbon Research
Abstract
Biomass is becoming particularly important as a starting material for advanced carbon structures. In this study, we found interesting nanostructures on the surface of burnt spaghetti using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) for analysis. The structures were elongated and finger-like, with evidence that the tubes have shell and core components. The shell was carbon that included amorphous and layered graphene structures. EDX showed enriched potassium and phosphorous in the core and at the tip of the tubes. The results indicate that tube formation depends on phase separation of polar/ionic and nonpolar moieties when water is produced in the biomass from the... (More)
Biomass is becoming particularly important as a starting material for advanced carbon structures. In this study, we found interesting nanostructures on the surface of burnt spaghetti using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) for analysis. The structures were elongated and finger-like, with evidence that the tubes have shell and core components. The shell was carbon that included amorphous and layered graphene structures. EDX showed enriched potassium and phosphorous in the core and at the tip of the tubes. The results indicate that tube formation depends on phase separation of polar/ionic and nonpolar moieties when water is produced in the biomass from the pyrolysis/combustion. The tube growth is most probably due to the raising pressure of vapor that cannot escape through the carbon film that is formed at the surface of the stick from flame heat. This process resembles glass blowing or volcanic activity, where the carbon acts as the glass or earth’s crust, respectively. These observations suggest that new interesting tubular nanostructures with different properties on the inside and outside can be produced in a relatively simple way, utilizing processes of combustion of starch-rich biomass materials. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
C: Journal of Carbon Research
article number
C2019,5, 21; doi:10.3390/c5020021
pages
13 pages
publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
2311-5629
DOI
10.3390/c5020021
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
91f7762b-318a-4fb2-afc0-a94bb370e374
date added to LUP
2019-05-17 10:50:48
date last changed
2023-10-26 02:28:32
@article{91f7762b-318a-4fb2-afc0-a94bb370e374,
  abstract     = {{Biomass is becoming particularly important as a starting material for advanced carbon structures. In this study, we found interesting nanostructures on the surface of burnt spaghetti using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) for analysis. The structures were elongated and finger-like, with evidence that the tubes have shell and core components. The shell was carbon that included amorphous and layered graphene structures. EDX showed enriched potassium and phosphorous in the core and at the tip of the tubes. The results indicate that tube formation depends on phase separation of polar/ionic and nonpolar moieties when water is produced in the biomass from the pyrolysis/combustion. The tube growth is most probably due to the raising pressure of vapor that cannot escape through the carbon film that is formed at the surface of the stick from flame heat. This process resembles glass blowing or volcanic activity, where the carbon acts as the glass or earth’s crust, respectively. These observations suggest that new interesting tubular nanostructures with different properties on the inside and outside can be produced in a relatively simple way, utilizing processes of combustion of starch-rich biomass materials.}},
  author       = {{Ossler, Frederik and Hetherington, Crispin J. D.}},
  issn         = {{2311-5629}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{C: Journal of Carbon Research}},
  title        = {{Finger-like carbon-based nanostructures produced by combustion of flour-based sticks (spaghetti)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/c5020021}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/c5020021}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}