What is it about?
What if low-value carbon residues could be transformed into high-performance nanomaterials? In this study, we demonstrate a scalable route to convert amorphous carbon — such as pyrolytic carbon from industrial processes — into graphitic nanostructures using molten metals. By dissolving carbon in liquid iron or nickel at high temperatures and controlling its precipitation during cooling, we enable the formation of graphene-like materials, including few-layer graphene and graphene nanoplatelets. Thermodynamic insights reveal that iron offers particularly high carbon solubility and efficiency, while experimental results confirm the formation of structured graphitic domains from initially disordered carbon. The process achieves high carbon recovery and opens a pathway to tailor material properties via cooling rates and process design.
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Why is it important?
Carbon-rich by-products from processes like methane pyrolysis are often underutilized. This work shows how such residues can become valuable resources for advanced materials — bridging hydrogen production, carbon management, and materials science.
Perspectives
This approach contributes to a circular carbon economy by upgrading waste carbon into functional materials, potentially enabling new applications in composites, energy systems, and beyond.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Ernst Müller
Ruhr-Universitat Bochum
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Graphene Nanoparticles from Amorphous Carbon via Molten Metal Recrystallization, ACS Sustainable Resource Management, September 2025, American Chemical Society (ACS),
DOI: 10.1021/acssusresmgt.4c00366.
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