Amorphous carbon nanostructures from chlorination of ferrocene Original Research Article

The chlorination of ferrocene at different temperature conditions yields several carbon nanostructures, which were studied by means of transmission and scanning electron microscopies. Amorphous carbon nanotubes (α-CNTs) up to 10 μm long with thick walls and ∼15 nm of internal diameter were observed in a sample treated at 200 °C during 30 min. They consisted on ∼90% of carbon, while the remaining 10% consists on iron and chlorine. At this temperature, amorphous carbon bags and open-ended branches were also found. When chlorinating ferrocene at the same temperature but with longer reaction time (180 min), no α-CNTs were formed. At higher temperature (300 °C, 30 min), amorphous carbon bags were found, with lower content of residual chlorine and iron, and presenting thinner walls. In the sample treated at even higher temperature (900 °C, 30 min) the carbon nanobags (wall thickness ∼12 nm) were almost spherical and more graphitic, and without impurities.